Despite a budget with a $3.5 million deficit, a recent hike on city-provided utilities and an unsettled contract with the Beaumont Professional Firefighters Union, Mayor Roy West gave the tie breaking vote to approve just short of $100,000 in additional retirement compensation for four of the city’s highest paid employees, in addition to their annual 2% cost of living pay increase.
This action, originally listed as Consent Agenda Item D so it would be considered as “routine” and subject to a blanket vote with other assorted business decisions, was removed, discussed and voted separately during the Dec. 3 City Council meeting as thje result of a motion made by Council Member At-large Randy Feldschau.
“Since serving since 2019, I’ve tried to demonstrate my support for staff and I don’t believe in these years I’ve ever voted against a compensation package,” Feldschau said before announcing he would vote to not allow it at this time. Giving out $100,000 in bonuses to top paid employees was marked as a hard no from the council member because, he added, “Our expenditure is exceeding our revenue – and we are still in negotiation with our firefighters and that contract we do not know what it will cost.”
Feldschau, Council Member Ward 2 Mike Getz and Council Member Ward 1 Taylor Neild all voted “No” to the motion to approve the compensation increase for the city manager, city attorney, city clerk, and chief magistrate, while Council Member At-large A.J. Turner, Council Member Ward III Audwin Samuel, Council Member Ward IV Charles Durio and West each voted “Yes.”
The passage of this compensation package, which was voted to become retroactively effective as of Oct. 1, increases City Manager Kenneth Williams’ compensation package close to $350,000. (Official numbers are pending a public records request with the city clerk’s office, which was yet to be returned as of press time.)
Originally hired in 2022 with an initial annual salary of $250,000, Williams received a base salary increase of 2%, as well as an additional $7,500 in 2023. This year, as well as 2023, all city employees received a 2% cost of living salary increase; however the four key employees voted on separately received above and beyond what other city employees were compensated, adding more than $20,000 to each of their retirement accounts in 2023, and now even more in 2024.