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Castle Rock clerk declines raise to help balance budget

Tuesday, December 23, 2008 12:50 PM PST

By Barbara LaBoe

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CASTLE ROCK — The City Council gave employees a pay raise Monday — but one worker turned hers down.

Clerk/Treasurer Ryana Covington was due a 3 percent cost of living increase, but she declined it down to help balance her department’s budget.

Faced with cuts across the board, the council took a final vote on its budget and fee increases, despite the protestations of one council member.

Councilman Mike Mask asked the council to reconsider the amount of both the business license and the water and utility rates, saying the costs were driving people out of business. Mask has raised similar concerns throughout the process of cutting nearly $500,000 from the city’s general fund budget, suggesting the council borrow more money rather than raise rates.

The city is borrowing $240,000 from its other funds to balance its $1.5 million 2009 general fund budget. The money must be paid back, with interest, in three years.

“We can’t continue to raise these costs and not see repercussions,” Mask said, adding he knows of three businesses that are closing in January due to increased taxes, fees and rates. He voted against the utility rate increase, which passed 4 to 1.

Other council members said they don’t like increased fees either, but the city also has to balance its budget.

“We don’t want to raise fees,” said Greg Marcil. “But we have to pay our bills.”

Council members did agree to make the business license increase from $25 to $75 be effective for just one year. That way, they can evaluate if it can be reduced in a year’s time, Councilman Khembar Yund said. With that change, Mask supported the new fee.

The water and sewer rates will not go into effect until February because the snowy weather has kept city workers from reading meters this month. The December bills will charge the same amount as November, and any difference will be made up in January using the old rate system. The council also agreed to waive the $2 first late fee for city bills because several residents have said they’re having trouble making it to the bank because of the weather.

Both the budget and the fees already had been voted on earlier this month. The council voted Monday for the first time on the city’s salary schedule for 2009.

Many city employees’ raises are dictated by their union contacts and ranged between 3 percent and 4 percent, with some also receiving longevity increases. The city’s department heads, including Public Works Director Dave Vorse and Police Chief Bob Heuer, received a 3 percent cost of living raise.

The city’s public works employees are still negotiating their contract, so the salary schedule will be adjusted once negotiations finish.

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lola*in*Longview wrote on Dec 23, 2008 12:33 AM:

" Good for her, maybe some more will follow in her footsteps and help there budgets so no more people will lose jobs. "

bones wrote on Dec 23, 2008 4:57 AM:

" I hope that Castle Rock council members can see that their "downtown" is becoming that of Vader. They need to figure out why this is happening and try in other ways to change it. There are plenty of other small towns that do well and are beautiful. Why can't Castle Rock look like these towns and act as such? And thank you to Covington for doing this. If everyone did this across the board (not just in CR) it would help save jobs and our economy. "

Im_not_saying wrote on Dec 23, 2008 6:57 AM:

" It's a nice start - but why doesn't the city council realize that $86,000 is entirely too much for a town so small. $60000 is a more reasonable #. Until the city council and mayor realize that wages in that office constitute a strain on the budget, there will be shortfalls. Lets see Vorse and his band of slackers who couldn't even plow the roads this weekend turn down raises and I'll start to be impressed.

On that note - Thanks to the individuals who plowed streets of their own accord. I saw at least 2 of you. THANKS!! "

speak into the microphone wrote on Dec 23, 2008 7:29 AM:

" City of Kelso and Longview take notice! This individual is a CLASS ACT!!! "

huh? wrote on Dec 23, 2008 8:42 AM:

" It's much easier to turn down a cost of living increase when you are already overpaid by 30%. "

no one wrote on Dec 23, 2008 8:46 AM:

" Hey, where are all the other "turn down the raises or we'll revolt" posters? There are over sixty comments on the other articles. I guess it's just not fun if you don't get to beat someone up. Although Im_not_saying seems to have figured out a new angle for that, so hope is still alive for the rest of you. "

kj360 wrote on Dec 23, 2008 8:55 AM:

" Bless you Ms. Covington for your thoughtfullness but if your salary is $60K annually and you gave a pass to a 3% increase, which would equate to approximately $1788 annually- By the pass, are you implying that the City of Castle Rock or your department was out of budget $1788 or thereabouts causing you to forego your cost of living increase? Previous articles in TDN would not support that logic. "

mikadax wrote on Dec 23, 2008 9:53 AM:

" Yes, thanks to those who plowed the streets when others wouldn't! You are a blessing. "

The1Who wrote on Dec 23, 2008 10:11 AM:

" STUPID!!! Why cheat yourself,unless everyone else is going to do the same..?Makes no sense,and you wont be making one bit of a diference...Take your money and put it back into the community. "

EyesWideShut wrote on Dec 23, 2008 10:35 AM:

" I have personally bashed the city clerk on numerous occasions, however ever turning down a 3% raise does look upstanding however lets not forget in order to keep up with the cost of living and you will need roughly a 6.5-8.0 % increase a year. So turning down a 3% raise is great but it's not going to fix the budget. The City should be able to maintain all raises and still run without money issues (if we are only giving out 3% increases). The City needs to look at how it's run and look too see how other non failing cities are doing business. I think the Mayor should be speaking up, what our her thoughts on the issues? Why is she not in charge shes in the position as city mayor why is a failing one sided City Council still running the show? "

ann123 wrote on Dec 23, 2008 10:37 AM:

" i just love Castle Rock we moved into the area 4 years ago. I love alot of the little shops there and the restraunts are wonderful. People are so nice and friendly. It would be nice if more nice little shops would open up there. Maybe the foreigners should stop renting to certain people and they wont have the drug bust there and drag the town down. this place it such a wonderful place to live. we to go mrs covington maybe some other people will follow your lead. "

montana wrote on Dec 23, 2008 10:49 AM:

" The license fee will not be lowered in a year - count on that. "

TDN Bad Boy wrote on Dec 23, 2008 11:53 AM:

" Too bad our Liberal gov and all the politicians in Olympia won't act in the same manner. But this is a class move. Expecting politicians to have this kind of class is too much to ask. "

Atrucker wrote on Dec 23, 2008 11:56 AM:

" I think City Council ought to go to each business and hand them a leave town notice , because they are going to fee, rate, and tax you out of business. So they can have a council that does nothing but tell us numbers
and expect more money . Sorry council the party is over. "

petunia wrote on Dec 23, 2008 1:06 PM:

" I grew up in Castle Rock in the 50"s. It was called a "bedroom town" for Longview. Great little town. Hope they can solve their problems, at least one person is trying. "

El Fuego wrote on Dec 23, 2008 3:20 PM:

" Just want to thank Covington for stepping up to the plate. I hope she made arrangements to get her 3% back at a later time when the city is through screwing around with the people, errrrr I mean the budget. Also as a point of interest, even though the city is giving a 3% COL raise, they are behind the times. Hell, even SS is giving almost 6% this coming year. I have come to the conclusion that I do not like city government and their endless taxing. Now, where is that tea party? Locally I hope as we have been taxed out of the money it would take to get to Boston. "

Socrates wrote on Dec 23, 2008 8:43 PM:

" It is way easier for an employee who is already overpaid and doesn't have a family to support to turn down a raise. The other employees of the city have kids to feed and can't afford to take a pay cut simply because the "projected" income is low. This act betrays the other employees who should all expect to be reasonably compensated. The real question to be researched by TDN is: Why is Castle Rock projected a 33% reduction in income, when other area governments are predicted 10-15%? "

Crazier_n_Hell wrote on Dec 23, 2008 10:48 PM:

" Some of you people seem to have a bad case of cranial rectumitis! You're making her out to be some kind of hero for turning down 3%. Did you forget that the department heads, including Ryana, gave themselves a whopping 17% last year! What the hell! What city clerk in a town the size of Castle Rock gets that kind of money? She's way overpaid to begin with. How was that ever allowed to happen in the first place??? The department heads were due to get another 5% this year. And took a 3% instead. Yet nothing was said about that.

Apparently they haven't learned from the past that you cannot tax a city into prosperity. Until the people currently in charge are gone, it's only going to get worse! Somebody needs to step in and get a handle on these people before Castle Rock turns into a ghost town.

As Forest would say, "That's all I have to say about that". "

Im_not_saying wrote on Dec 24, 2008 4:47 AM:

" You are so right "no one!" When you are making $86K a year, $2500 odd dollars is chump change. That's easy to turn down. Why didn't she offer to turn down her raise last year when they initially projected a budget shortfall - Which was at that time five times as much as this raise?? Ryanna is playing the whole town for a fool. "Look at what a good thing I'm doing!" After lining her pockets for years and years, she can afford to turn down a raise or two. "

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