Councilman Nickelson is right; city can't afford 13% across-the-board pay raises
There you go again, Councilman Nickelson, speaking the truth out loud, and it is a necessary truth. The administration has come out for 13% across-the-board raises for all city employees, which sounds good, but it is not feasible. No, everybody doesn't deserve a 13% raise, but, yes, everybody does deserve some consideration for a pay raise. The problem is that, as Councilman Nickelson has so aptly described, the city would be on the hook for another $20 million added to the yearly budget. That is a big number, and it is an unsustainable number, considering the current income streams that come into the city coffers.