Office of the Mayor

I recently signed the FY 2013 budget into law. While it contains a slight increase in overall  spending from last year, its real importance is it begins to reinvest in our most critical asset, all our employees and your work environment.

The budget begins or increases our efforts to

• Improve our technology

 

• Purchase critical  rolling stock to replace aged vehicles in all City departments;

 

• Provided a modest  2% pay raise to begin on your anniversary date

 

• Picked up $600 per employee in employee health care costs, leaving you with on average $3 per pay period.

The pay raise was negotiated with your input from your union representatives, who felt a 1% pay raise effective on July 1st was too little. I agree.

But it is not enough. As I have met with City employees over the last several months, I have pledged that if we can control the steep increases in the costs of pensions, we will be able to further invest in them.

That not only means additional pay raises, to account for increases in cost of living, but capital improvements to offices and City buildings, as well as further investments in rolling stock.

I want to thank the many Aldermen who support pension reform. They understand that we must control steep pension costs, while providing a pension that supports those who put their lives of the line for us each and every day.

I want to thank each and every one of you for the work you do. I cannot tell you how many times City residents, businesses and visitors comment on the work City employees do to make our city one of the best in the country. You have done so without a pay raise, while taking furloughs and reduced staffing in your departments. Now, it is time to invest in you. As Mayor, I pledge to do everything in my power to make sure we do.  

 

Mayor Francis G. Slay

City of St. Louis