The city of Colorado Springs is planning to raise pay, restore spending cuts and add positions as the local economy keeps improving following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chief Financial Officer Charae McDaniel said the city is planning 3% pay increases for all employees, a 2% one-time bonus for police officers and merit-based pay increases for all other employees that will take effect at the end of June. The raises are expected to cost $6.8 million this year and are expected to be covered by the $76.77 million in American Rescue Plan Act money the city received. Next year the pay increases will be incorporated into the city’s regular annual budget.
The raises are needed to help retain and attract talent and keep up with the market, she said.
The city is planning to spend an additional $8 million to add 30 new positions, eliminate the city’s emergency hiring delay and restore operational funding. The city cut funding to all departments by 20% last year and required all departments to wait four months to fill vacant positions, she said. The new positions include six new planners, five new lawyers, five new public works employees, three stormwater workers and 11 new Colorado Springs Airport Employees.
The new planners and public works employees are particularly needed to keep up with the city’s rapid growth. Planners manage applications for new construction and public works employees oversee and accept new infrastructure, she said.
“The workload on the current staff is beyond what is reasonable,” McDaniel said.
The Colorado Springs Police Department is also adding officers, but the new positions were included in the existing budget.
City tax collections have been healthy and the Colorado Springs City Council seemed open to the spending during Monday’s meeting, although they did not formally vote.
“We are growing so much and your staff is so strained. … This is all essential money,” Councilman Richard Skorman said.
The city’s savings, or fund balance, is healthy at about 27% of next year’s expected level of spending. It is 7% higher than the city’s goal, McDaniel said.
City revenues have also been rapidly growing. In April, the city collected $18.9 million, the second highest monthly total on record and 22.5% higher than April 2019. Online sales and strong housing market have helped drive the economy and city revenues.
This content was originally published here.