Ankeny Council Split in Vote to Approve Raises for Employees

In a split vote, the Ankeny City Council approved raises for all non-union city directors and department officers at its regular meeting Monday night.

The 4.4-percent salary increase was approved in a 3-2 vote with council members Mark Holm and Jim McKenna voting against the salary increase. Both members previously voted against the passage of the fiscal year 2013 budget, which will starting July 1.

“Neither of us believe this increase is prudent since neither of us supported the passage of the 2013 budget,” said Holm in an email to Ankeny Patch following the meeting. “The 2013 budget raises taxes, eliminates four police patrolmen positions and does little to curb spending.”

The salary increase is part of employee contracts, which are renewed each fiscal year and figured into the city’s annual budget planning process, said City Manager Carl Metzger. This is a process the city has used since the 1990s.

The recommended salary increases are done in line with that of AFSCME, the union that represents state, county and city employees across Iowa, including the city of Des Moines and Polk County.

AFSCME is one of three unions to which Ankeny city employees belong.

“We use AFSCME as a model for how we apply adjustments and compensation, taking into consideration cost of living and the consumer price index,” Metzger said. “4.4 was definitely a larger amount than anyone expected to see.”

The city uses this recommendation to keep pay equitable between union and non-union city employees, Metzger said.

“To make it really simple, everyone gets the same thing,” he said. “I’m not sure how well that came through Monday night. My feeling is (the increase) might have been perceived to be a number greater than others are getting, but it’s not.”

Two years ago, the city implemented a salary freeze. Last year, non-union employees received a 2.4-percent increase. Combined with this year’s increase, employees on average will have seen a 2.27-percent increase each year.

Metzger said this is the second-lowest rate among Des Moines metropolitan communities.