On Tuesday, the Greeley City Council approved the yearlong Greeley Fire Fighters contract. But the increase heralds continued discussions about fair and equitable pay throughout city ranks.
With no discussion on the matter, the council approved the contract by a vote of 6-1, with the lone dissenting vote from councilman Mike Finn.
“We have to do what’s fair to the whole community,” Finn said after the vote, explaining that salary comparisons with more affluent cities set an unfair gauge on salary levels. “It sends the wrong message, that this is Monopoly money, that we can spend it the way we want to.”
The city began negotiations with the Greeley Police Officers Association on Tuesday. In August, city officials will discuss the 2012 budget. They hope to discuss raises for general employees, who got an average 1 percent raise this year after four years of stagnant pay, while the city’s union employees negotiated 3 percent to 4 percent increases for 2011.
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