Seneca reconsiders budget numbers

Seneca’s elected leaders want general city workers to share in pay raises—not just their police officers.  The city administrator left last night’s workshop meeting with a city council consensus that there should be adjustment in the budget figures that were tentatively approved last month in a 5-4 vote.  One of those who voted no then, Dana Moore, said he was satisfied with the re-work that City Administrator Greg Dietterick and others had done to the proposed budget.  Moore conceded that he and others on the council had received complaints that city workers, other than police personnel, were being by-passed for salary increases.  And Dietterick said he believes he’s close to presenting a balanced budget for final approval on June 14.  Last night Dietterick said he believes that a salary of $33,500 a year for starting police officers will allow Seneca to be competitive enough to avoid losing officers to other law enforcement agencies that pay more.  At the same time, Dietterick proposed an alternate way for officers from lieutenant to chief to qualify for pay increases.  And city officials are talking about the possibility of three percent “COLA” increases for all city workers—although Councilman Stuart Pohl said he would prefer those increases be awarded for merit achievement.  Clerk-Treasurer Joel Seavey announced last night that latest figures show the city council may raise property taxes as much as about four and a quarter mills to help balance the new budget.