Nolanville Texas is a small town like ours. Their population is about 6,000 compared to Lampasas at about 7,200.
You’d never know this from salary comparisons between City employees, however.
Our new Assistant TO THE City Manager Ryan “Dwight Schrute” Ward took it upon himself to do a “salary comparison” a few months ago so he could justify increases for our City workers. He cleverly looked at places like Marble Falls and Fredericksburg (where there is a LOT more money sloshing around) to make his comparisons.
But he didn’t bother to look at places like Nolanville, that would have wrecked his “we are all underpaid” nonsense argument. Let’s take a look!
Nolanville City Manager – $76,000
Lampasas City Manager – $150,000
My goodness! Lampasas pays TWICE as much!
Nolanvilleassistant city manager/city secretary – $64,000
Lampasas ACM –$113,000(includes 3% COLA raise given after only SIX MONTHS on the job!)
Nolanville COMBINES the positions of ACM and City secretary and STILL pays far less!
Nolanvillepolice chief – $65,000
Lampasas police chief – $96,798 (includes 3% COLA raise given last month)
We pay 50% more! Chief Cummings has had a pretty good year – between his promotion and his recent COLA raise, he got a 12% pay increase since January 1st (from $86,500 up to $96,798). But don’t think that will stop Finley from suggesting he get more! Ryan Ward’s own “salary study” said our police chief position was “overpaid” (his words, not mine) by 7.9%!
Nolanville Economic Development Director –$51,000
Lampasas Economic Director –$78,000 (includes 3% COLA raise given last month)
AGAIN, we are 50% higher.
None of this even looks at the generous benefits Lampasas hands out like 2 for 1 matching for retirement. For every $7,000 Ryan “Dwight Schrute” Ward puts away for retirement, the City throws $14,000 in tax dollars into his account for him! That is why the combined number JUST FOR BENEFITS by themselves for Finley and Dwight Schrute are over $90,000!!
City council has a chance right now to rein in the spending as they prepare next year’s budget. Will they do the right thing?