I’m going to reprint my annual screed about government employees versus the private sector. Every government worker is going to be howling for raises this year since Brandon’s runaway inflation has given them the perfect cover.
Finley and his new Assistant Manager are preparing to do just that at tomorrow’s City council meeting [page 7]
Of course, they fail to mention that they are ALREADY paid more than their private-sector counterparts AND get incredible benefits like medical, dental, life insurance and free retirement contributions.
In fact, Lampasas matches retirement contributions 2-1, if you can believe that! So if Finley contributes $7,000 towards his pension, the City puts in $14,000. YOU the taxpayer pay for that $14,000.
They also get air-tight job security. You literally don’t get fired, no matter how badly you fuck up. Even if you are head of the IT Department and allow City computers to get wrecked by a ransomware attack. Your job is still safe.
(Well, unless your name is Gary Cox and you pull a prank with Goldfish crackers)
Even during the pandemic when people were losing their livelihoods, Finley was handed a TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR raise (or 7.7% increase)! UPDATE – it was actually $20,000 as he got ANOTHER $10,000 raise later that year. Grand total of a 15% raise in one year.
In the most recent budget, the line items for “City Manager” [page 18, line 502-5100 under “Benefits”] (salaries ALONE for Finley and ACM Ryan Ward total up to $284,803)
Retirement benefits for Finley and Ryan were $45,440 just for last year. That is $45,440 the taxpayer hands to Finley and Ryan for their future retirement. That is REAL MONEY. That is almost $23,000 each.
The City then pays for their insurance as well. Last budget, it was $23,587 – or close to $12,000 for each of them.
Out here in the real world, I just got my bill for my health insurance for the next year – it is over $9,000. I get to pay that out of my own checking account. But Finley and Ryan don’t have to worry about that stuff. The taxpayer pays for that too! Of course, Finley never mentions all these benefits when he cries poor to City council for higher wages.
Add up those bennies and the taxpayer is forking over $91,348 JUST for the benefits for those two guys!
But wait! There’s more!
There is a line item for “Telephone Services” [page 18] amounting to $2,250. I’m guessing they both get free cell phone plans – since that works out to about $95 a month for each of them. No cell phone bill! Cool!
There is also a line item for “Car Allowance” for $6,000! That’s $250 per month for each guy. That just about covers gas, doesn’t it? Nice benefit!
Anyways – remember that when poor Finley (and all the other Big Wigs at the top of City government – **cough** Monica Wright **cough **) cries about his $150,000 wage not being very much, he is failing to mention the OTHER $40,000 or $50,000 in benefits that goes unseen into his pocket.
So- without further ado, here is the article I post every year about this time: