Gluckstadt employees to see raises on merit

GLUCKSTADT — The city’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023-2024 has no new taxes and a proposed merit-based pay raise for city employees.

Aldermen held a special meeting and public hearing on Sep. 5 and voted unanimously not to raise the ad valorem tax rate. 

Gluckstadt is currently operating with a projected total revenue of $7,059,386, with 19 percent (or $1,338,600) obtained through ad valorem taxes. 

The new budget has a total projected revenue of $6,527,141, and 22.2 percent (or $1,448,900) is proposed to be from ad valorem taxes.

The city’s decision not to increase the millage rate means residents will not pay more in ad valorem taxes on their homes, automobile tags, utilities, business fixtures and equipment, and rental real property unless the assessed value of their property has increased for the fiscal year. 

FY 2023 ends for Gluckstadt on Sep. 30. 

Gluckstadt Mayor Walter C. Morrison IV said he expects city employees to get a merit-based pay increase during FY24 due to their hard work and to counteract inflation. 

“Gluckstadt has the best employees around and all of them deserve a pay increase in an effort to combat inflation,” Morrison said. “It is my hope that in FY24, the city will be in a position to give all of our employees merit-based raises because they deserve it. Given the inflation situation, they are making less money now than when they were hired.” 

Morrison said the FY23-24 budget will be voted on during next week’s regular meeting on Sep. 12.