UPDATE: 11 a.m. – Leroy Alsup called to correct some information in the story. This will be the second year that employees have gone without a merit increase but the first year that a cost-of-living increase has been totally elminated.
I’ve changed the story a bit to reflect this change in information. Sorry for the error.
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Cowley County employees will go without merit pay increases for a second year in a row in an effort to control spending.
The wage freeze also includes cost-of-living increases. County employees received a 3-percent increase in 2009 and a 1-percent cost of living increase, but no merit increase, in 2010.
This year there will be no increase of any kind, Alsup said.
Much of the decision to eliminate raises came because of rising health insurance costs. In the last two years alone, the cost of providing health insurance for county employees has gone up by $500,000.
"We’re doing what we can so that we don’t have to pass the bulk of that on to the employee," Alsup said. "After covering that, there’s just not much left."
The wage restriction will apply to all employees of the county, including Alsup. The only exception would be raises for anyone promoted to a higher position.
County commissioners will vote on the wage freeze and the 2011 budget at a meeting Tuesday. A public budget hearing is set for 7 p.m. at the courthouse in Winfield.
The commission has settled on a budget that mostly holds steady on spending compared to this year. A half-mill property tax increase will generate about $100,000 in additional revenue next year.
The increase means the owner of a $100,000 home will pay about $5.50 more next year than the previous year.
