'They're experiencing the effects of inflation now': Milton city employees get pay raise
By the end of the month, employees at the city of Milton will be getting a pay increase to combat the effects of inflation.
According to city documents, the 8% increase will cost the city roughly $178,000.
"They're experiencing the effects of inflation now, and they have to buy groceries now. And they have to put gas in their car now," said Councilwoman Shannon Rice, who spearheaded the effort. She told the News Journal inflation was the driving cause behind her push for the pay bump.
When fully staffed, Milton employs a total of about 150 people. There are currently fewer than 20 vacancies, according to Milton's Budget Coordinator Heidi Sroka.
A cost of living pay increase was already slated for employees in November, but Rice said she promoted the idea of issuing the raise sooner.
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"It's just really important that we be flexible enough so that we can react to things that are happening in the moment,” Rice said.
Mayor Heather Lindsay said she was glad Rice brought the issue to the council's attention.
"It's right on time because the inflation is the worst we've seen since I was a child and I'm 52 years old. ... We cannot expect good people to stay with their employer if their employer can't give them a cost-of-living adjustment that is consistent with inflation," Lindsay said.
City staff and officials credited the ability to issue the raises to Milton's sound financial practices.
"From what I see, the city is very fiscally responsible and does a good job of budgeting and keeping costs low and maintaining their contracts — really watching what they spend," Sroka said.
Lindsay said she recognized other municipalities may not be able to follow suit if they are not as financially strong as Milton.
"I think it reflects really well on our fiscal management that we are in a position to do this," Lindsay said.
"When you raise your employees' pay, then that means choices have to be made about the rest of your available revenue and the projects that have to be funded," Lindsay said. "So, different cities may have other challenges and it may be harder for some cities to do what Milton has done."
At the county level, employees received a $1 per hour pay bump in May. County staff cited personnel retention and the desire to fill vacancies as the reasoning behind that move.
All this comes on the heels of new wage standards across the state. The minimum wage in Florida increased last September to $10 per hour. That baseline will increase by $1 every year until 2026 when the minimum wage will be $15 per hour, which has ultimately caused entities everywhere in Florida to reexamine their pay scales.
"(The Milton City Council members) all appreciate the work that the city employees are doing. .. I know anytime I call and say, 'Hey, there's a problem over here,' a lot of times it's taken care of in that day," Rice said.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Milton City Council approves city employee raises to fight inflation
