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Public Payrolls 2014: City of Las Cruces [Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M. :: ](Las Cruces Sun-News (NM) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) April 20--Online Database by Caspio Click here to load this Caspio Online Database. LAS CRUCES -- The majority of the city's 1,483 employees are bringing home a little more money this year, about $842 for the average worker. Despite Las Cruces' sluggish recovery from the global economic recession that began in 2008, city employees got a slight increase in their pay. The average annual salary of a city employee this year is $38,128.76. They received a 1.5 percent cost-of-living increase plus a $270 bonus this year. Many city residents who work for private sector businesses haven't seen a cost-of-living increase since the recession began. City Manager Robert Garza said the pay increases for city employees, although admittedly slight, are nonetheless important. Not only do they help boost the morale of employees, but also increase spendable income and thus gross receipts taxes. The bumps in pay also help keep city government competitive with its peers -- other municipal, county and state agencies -- employees could consider working for instead. "(It's) nothing really great to brag about, but that's better than nothing -- or getting your salary cut, or seeing your take-home (pay) lowered because the cost of everything else has gone up," said Las Crucen Jenny Mendoza, who works as an office manager in a doctor's office. "Like everyone else, it seems, some people I know -- not everybody -- who work for the city grumble about the little raise they get for the work and responsibilities they have. In some cases, it's justified; in others it's not. There's just so many people in Cruces who live paycheck to paycheck. To me, the city seems to pay its people better than a lot of other places." Lower than average Garza said city salaries are slightly below those paid by municipalities across the United States that are at or near the same size of Las Cruces. "Are we paying people properly? Probably not," Garza said. "It was 2006 when the city last conducted a compensation study to compare what employees are being paid. We just recently received the results of a study we had conducted and we learned that we're underpaying a considerable number of our employees when compared to their peers. "During the recession we realized that the vacancy rate of positions within the city ranged from 8 to 10 percent. There's 120 vacancies in city government right now. The study showed us the normal vacancy rate across the U.S. is anywhere from 5 to 7 percent." Garza said elected city leaders will ultimately have to decide when and how city salaries could be improved to make them more competitive with those paid by comparable municipalities across the nation. It should be noted published salaries of city employees do not include benefits or other financial incentives paid to them. Garza estimated benefits, such as retirement and health insurance, can boost employees' total compensation by as much as an additional 52 percent. The top and bottom The city of Las Cruces has a $100,000 club that includes 13 employees, all administrators or executive staff members. Garza, as city manager, will be paid $172,910 this year as the city's top administrator. Assistant City Managers Brian Denmark and Mark Winson are city government's second- and third-highest paid employees, with Denmark earning $129,540 and Winson $123,216. Utilities Director Jorge Garcia ranks fourth in city salaries at $121,00 and City Attorney Harry "Pete" Connelly is fifth at $118,587. The rest of the city's Top 10 paid employees, in order, includes: Police Chief Jaime Montoya, $110,000; Fire Chief Travis Brown, $109,242; David Weir, community development director, $108,630; Scott Marr, director of the city's information technology department, $106,488; and Mark Johnston, parks and recreation director, $104,669. Three others also earn more than $100,000 a year, including the highest-ranking woman, Public Works Director Loretta Reyes, $104,421; Human Resources Director Andre Moquin, $101,837.37; and Presiding Municipal Court Judge Melissa Miller Byrnes, $100,467.90. The lowest paid city employees is a very short list. "We have four employees who are paid $8 an hour," Garza said. "All of them are part-time, temporary employees. Of employees who make $8.50 an hour, the number ranges between 15 to 20." Garza added what city officials consider "entry-level positions" begin with an hourly rate of $9. Trimming the fat Due largely to the anemic recovery and by extension the lower gross receipts taxes being collected in Las Cruces, city officials continue to explore ways to reduce the costs of city government. Although layoffs and furloughs aren't a consideration for now, Garza is looking at streamlining, or consolidating, jobs. "In the proposed budget that will be brought forth to City Council, there is a proposal to eliminate 17 vacant positions in the coming year," Garza said. "If that's approved by the council, that would be a bite never taken before by city government. ... But by doing that, city government would realize a reccurring annual savings of $922,410 a year in salaries and benefits." The city's Parks and Recreation Department could see the greatest reduction, where nine of the 17 vacant jobs would be cut. Garza said those are all entry-level and seasonal positions. Those job responsibilities are already being handled by other employees. Steve Ramirez can be reached at 575-541-5452. ___ (c)2014 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |