Water Reclamation Board Approves $1.15Billion Budget with Little Discussion

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board - December 14, 2017
Special Meeting 

The Board, without discussion except for one item, approved a number of items which result in a 2018 budget of $1.15 billion. The final numbers cannot be known until the 2% increase approved for all non-represented employees, which appears to be approximately $2.4 million, has been added to the totals.
It was this salary increase (Item 4, File # 17-1314) that involved the only discussion.  Commissioner Walsh said that a memo from the Director of Human Resources had been provided to the Commissioners that morning which recommended that no increase be given.  After the meeting, Commissioner Shore shared the memo with this observer.  Among other factors the Director cited were the above-market starting and average salaries of MWRD employees and the salary increases over the past 10 years (20%) as compared to the Consumer Price Index (12.7%).  It was noted that benefit packages should also be considered, but there was no comparison of the MWRD benefits to those benefits provided by others.  The memo stated that for each percentage increase in salaries for non-represented employees, the additional cost would be $1.2 million.

However, the new collective bargaining agreements provide for a 2% salary increase in 2018, and this appeared to convince at least some of the Commissioners to approve the 2% increase for non-represented employees.  The vote was 6 “yes” (with Commissioner Morita absent for this vote) and 1 “present” (Commissioner Walsh). 
The only other item that was not procedural in nature was Item 2, File #17-1312, which contained a number of changes to the Tentative Budget.  Among other things, this amendment increased the total appropriation by $10.5 million, which includes

• $1.45 million more for the Corporate Fund, including $452,000 for an Inspector General (should one be approved)
• $1.24 million more for the Construction Fund, and
• $7.9 million more for the Capital Improvements Bond Fund

Under this Item 2, the total appropriation would be 0.5% higher than the 2017 budget; while the total tax levy would be 3.8% higher than in 2017.

​Observer - Priscilla Mims                                     Meeting Length - 35 minutes