No more pay boost for long service

Electric City struck down its own “longevity pay schedule” at its meeting last week.

The city had passed a resolution in 2002, initiated by then-mayor Ray Halsey, affirming the benefits of attracting and keeping key employees by giving them a longevity pay raise after 25 and 30 years employment.

Halsey at the time wanted a method to keep key employees on the job, and thought that a bump in pay was the way to do that.

The resolution grandfathered in employees who had 10 years in at the time of the resolution.

Two employees have benefited from the resolution:

Randy Gumm, manager of the transfer station and before that the landfill, came to work for the city in 1972; and public works Ken Dexter, who started with the city in 1977.

Both have received longevity wage boosts of a total of 10 percent.

Action by the council last week ends the practice.