Ridgeland eyeing 5 percent pay raises

City officials are considering a fiscal year 2022 budget that features across-the-board raises for city employees including the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. 

The budget will go up for a public hearing at the Aug. 17 regularly scheduled meeting.

The current proposed budget, which is far from final, sets expenditures at $25,735,862. Based on current projections this will dip into the general fund to the tune of $3 million. 

City Clerk Paula Tierce said current projections will look like deficit spending but noted that the city has a policy of conducting conservative revenue estimates. She said the final number usually balances out.

“When the year is through and done with there is always more revenue than we initially estimated and we expect that to continue,” Tierce said.

Raises will be a key feature of the FY 2022 budget. City employees are expected to receive a 5% raise 

Ward 1 Alderman Ken Heard said the board “loves” to give raises when they can but when they have not “it has been for good reasons.”

Aldermen Wesley Hamlin and Kevin Holder both advocated going as high as a 5.5% increase.

This will make the fourth year of a five-year plan to offer raises to the Fire Department. Original discussions had featured a 3% raise for the department only.

On Tuesday, officials discussed raises for Mayor Gene McGee and aldermen. Heard declined his raise citing his status as a retiree from the state.

All board members will receive a $1,250 raise and McGee will receive a $2,500 raise. The mayor currently makes $96,000.06 and the aldermen make $21,147.36.