News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville City Council unanimously approved adjustments to the city’s pay range scale Thursday night, just the second changes since 2014.
The plan includes a one-time adjustment of four percent to all pay ranges. Finance Director Brenda Imel said the potential to earn more will help Cookeville fill high demand jobs.
“We are finding it now in the skill positions, engineers and planners, we are just having some difficulty attracting some people,” Imel said. “Because, we have not been able to adjust those ranges and keep up with those type of professions.”
City Manager James Mills said the city has fell behind in the job market, and the 4 percent adjustment is just the first step for future pay scale raises.
“We got to do this just to be able to give directors flexibility in pay,” Mills said. “This does not mean somebody starts out at top salary, but it does give a director the opportunity to offer more to get the right people in for the city. Also, it helps for our police, which it is getting more and more difficult to hire policemen because of what starting salary is. That gives the chief more flexibility for that. So, it is important long range that we look at this as a continuing adjustment of this pay scale for all employees.”
Imel said under the changes, G grade employees will start at $30,000 while topping off at $45,000. Grade H, such as police officers, pay will begin at $34,000 with potential to make $54,000.
“We want to attract the best employees that we can to provide services to our citizens,” Imel said. “And to be able to attract those and retain them, we do have to keep our salaries competitive with what’s going on in the area.”
Four hundred city employees will also receive a one time $1,500 salary increase in December, a total of $467,000 worth of raises overall. Imel said L through R graded employees, such as city planner, will not receive the payment, but the maximum possible salary still increases.
Currently, 62 employees make less than 30,000. This will decrease to 47. One hundred and thirty-three full time employees make more than $50,000. That will increase to 145. Cookeville’s largest grade is G with 71 employees and 59 in grade H.
