Question from Anonymous

And I don't think City commissioners should see this as a long-term position they can just keeping riding on either. Mrs. Smart What about other qualified employees, While the Police and Fire Departments got a big raise, employees within other departments here in the city got a small raise that there insurance rates took most of. Will you fight to see that other employees get the same thing as the Fire and Police Dept got ? Just because these other employees are picking up trash, Mowing grass, reading water and gas meters are they not as important as those Departments i have stated above.

Rita Smart answered:

I believe dedicated, well trained, qualified employees are the heart of any successful business. As I have said before, it is a new economic time. We must reward employees for outstanding service. We need to have pay scales that are in line with other cities our size. Keep in mind that the escalating cost of pension payments and benefits will be a major drain on city budgets. That is why it is so important that we look for other revenue sources and economic initiatives for new tax dollars, jobs, etc. Yes, I believe all employees are important and deserve the best possible benefits but at the same time they must be accountable for their worth to the taxpayer.