Dear Spearfish City Council:
We are writing as concerned citizens of Spearfish and respectfully ask that you vote “no” on the proposed 3% pay raise for city employees. We do not support the proposal for several reasons, which we’ve outlined below.
- Local taxpayers and businesses are experiencing the pain at the pump and the financial squeeze from inflation cited in the pay raise proposal. And yet, those of us in the private sector do not have the luxury of dipping into public funds to offset these costs. We fail to understand why the city would issue taxpayer-funded raises to public employees while the private sector struggles.
- In 2021 the city approved what was effectively a 10% pay raise, which added ~$590,000 in payroll expenses to the city budget. The new proposal adds another ~$443,000 in annualized payroll expenses. This kind of payroll growth is excessive and unnecessary, and would be inconceivable in the private sector. It’s also worth noting that city employees have a robust benefits package, eleven paid holidays, and up to 30 days (240 hours) of Paid Time Off. We are not aware of a locally-owned business with benefits remotely comparable.
- Some of the highest paid workers in Lawrence County are city employees (e.g. the City Administrator, the Public Safety Director, and the City Attorney). The proposal (as we read it) recommends that highly compensated department heads receive raises just the same as entry-level staff and CDL Drivers. This seems unnecessary and excessive.
- Numerous businesses are going through layoffs and many local residents are facing the prospect of reduced hours, pay cuts or unemployment. Again - it’s difficult to comprehend why the city would issue raises to government workers while segments of the private sector downsize.
The City Administrator’s report projects a $1.8M surplus in sales tax revenue, which he suggests could be used to fund the city pay raise. As an alternative, we’d ask that the city consider reducing the sales tax or examine ways the surplus could be returned or invested in locally owned businesses. The unfortunate reality is that if our economic climate worsens, some Main Street employers may be forced to close, and we would applaud any steps Spearfish takes to prevent this outcome.
Thank you for serving our community and considering our input.
Updates
July 3, 2022
The feedback from local business owners has been eye-opening. They are tired of subsidizing these costs while their own budgets are shrinking.
July 3, 2022
The momentum behind this is undeniable. People are clearly tired of seeing their tax dollars handled this way.
10 Comments
10% recently is more than enough. Rent is going up and food is expensive enough as it is. Stop spending our money.
Please do not go through with this pay raise. The city employees have already recently received a 10% pay raise. The taxpayers can’t afford any more taxes at this time of high inflation.
They lost no money during COVID. The rest of us are still catching up. Police only.
Agree! Now is not the time to increase wages for city workers when the average “Joe” is struggling
Sound conservative fiscal policy is the way to weather this inflation and uncertainty. This proposal does not seem to meet the test of fiscally conservative. Often the work environment is an effective motivator. Money is not always the most effective tool to encourage good work. To have this proposal for another raise come after a major adjustment in compensation a year ago seems hard to justify.
Due to the 10% raise in 2021 I don’t see a reason for another increase
No
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via . Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
By signing, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to occasional emails about petitions. Unsubscribe anytime.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
Dear Spearfish City Council:
We are writing as concerned citizens of Spearfish and respectfully ask that you vote “no” on the proposed 3% pay raise for city employees. We do not support the proposal for several reasons, which we’ve outlined below.
- Local taxpayers and businesses are experiencing the pain at the pump and the financial squeeze from inflation cited in the pay raise proposal. And yet, those of us in the private sector do not have the luxury of dipping into public funds to offset these costs. We fail to understand why the city would issue taxpayer-funded raises to public employees while the private sector struggles.
- In 2021 the city approved what was effectively a 10% pay raise, which added ~$590,000 in payroll expenses to the city budget. The new proposal adds another ~$443,000 in annualized payroll expenses. This kind of payroll growth is excessive and unnecessary, and would be inconceivable in the private sector. It’s also worth noting that city employees have a robust benefits package, eleven paid holidays, and up to 30 days (240 hours) of Paid Time Off. We are not aware of a locally-owned business with benefits remotely comparable.
- Some of the highest paid workers in Lawrence County are city employees (e.g. the City Administrator, the Public Safety Director, and the City Attorney). The proposal (as we read it) recommends that highly compensated department heads receive raises just the same as entry-level staff and CDL Drivers. This seems unnecessary and excessive.
- Numerous businesses are going through layoffs and many local residents are facing the prospect of reduced hours, pay cuts or unemployment. Again - it’s difficult to comprehend why the city would issue raises to government workers while segments of the private sector downsize.
The City Administrator’s report projects a $1.8M surplus in sales tax revenue, which he suggests could be used to fund the city pay raise. As an alternative, we’d ask that the city consider reducing the sales tax or examine ways the surplus could be returned or invested in locally owned businesses. The unfortunate reality is that if our economic climate worsens, some Main Street employers may be forced to close, and we would applaud any steps Spearfish takes to prevent this outcome.
Thank you for serving our community and considering our input.
Updates
July 3, 2022
The feedback from local business owners has been eye-opening. They are tired of subsidizing these costs while their own budgets are shrinking.
July 3, 2022
The momentum behind this is undeniable. People are clearly tired of seeing their tax dollars handled this way.
10 Comments
Enough with the tax hikes already! My own shop hasn't seen a pay bump in three years and I'm sure most folks around here feel the same. Vote no.
10% recently is more than enough. Rent is going up and food is expensive enough as it is. Stop spending our money.
Please do not go through with this pay raise. The city employees have already recently received a 10% pay raise. The taxpayers can’t afford any more taxes at this time of high inflation.
They lost no money during COVID. The rest of us are still catching up. Police only.
Agree! Now is not the time to increase wages for city workers when the average “Joe” is struggling
Sound conservative fiscal policy is the way to weather this inflation and uncertainty. This proposal does not seem to meet the test of fiscally conservative. Often the work environment is an effective motivator. Money is not always the most effective tool to encourage good work. To have this proposal for another raise come after a major adjustment in compensation a year ago seems hard to justify.
Due to the 10% raise in 2021 I don’t see a reason for another increase
No
Help this petition grow
Share it with friends to help reach 100 signatures.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via .
Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
Signing with Google or Facebook verifies your signature instantly — no email needed.
By signing, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to occasional emails about petitions. Unsubscribe anytime.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
Enough with the tax hikes already! My own shop hasn't seen a pay bump in three years and I'm sure most folks around here feel the same. Vote no.