City Staff Asks Council For Cost of Living Allowance

Some city staffers are asking the to include a cost of living allowance into the proposed FY 2012 budget.

Administrative Assistant Julia McTague, Cheri Everhart, aide in the recreation department and others approached the council at its

“We work hard, we provide needed services to the city,” McTague said.

This year the Maryland General Assembly approved a 2 percent increase in employees’ contributions to the state retirement system. Health insurance costs have increased by an average of 1.9 percent, she said.

City employees are paid on a grade/step scale. For certain steps there is no salary increase and once employees reach step 19 there is no further increase in pay via step, only through COLAs, she said.

“There are city employees at step 19 that are many years away from retirement,” McTague said.

Patrick O’Hagan, president of the Hyattsville Fraternal Order of Police, supports a COLA increase.

“Given the increase in the retirement, we’re looking at a 2 percent increase in our contribution,” he said. “What that means is we’re losing 2 percent of our salary.”

Without a COLA, about 10 percent of the would lose 2 percent of their take home pay because they are at steps on the pay scale that don’t include salary increases, he said.

“This is at a time when our employees and all of you are in the same boat,” he told the council. “It costs more now than it did last year to heat your home. Obviously Hyattsville is going through a trying time with the tax assessments … We understand that. But Hyattsville is definitely in a better position than other municipalities.”

has been out of town at a work-related conference, but she is expected to re-crunch the budget numbers when she returns.

“It’s very comforting that this isn’t a done deal yet,” O’Hagan said. “Hyattsville historically has underfunded its staff.

“The light at the end of the tunnel was all this development coming in the [former] mayor and council then told staff that any employees still here in 2009 would be greatly rewarded. That didn’t happen –[because the] economy tanked. It’s extremely hard right now for Hyattsville employees.”

The City Council plans to discuss the proposed budget at its May 31 meeting.