H A L L O W E E N - lemonspublications.com

4 Friday, September 27, 2013 v Krum News v www.lemonspublications.com v email: krum@lemonspublications.comLast-minute plea consideredbefore Council passes budget(Continued from pg. 1)After another 15 secondsof silence, Beall askedif there weren’t some waythe budget could be amendedlater.“You can do an amendmentwhen there’s a publicnecessity,” Vanzant explained.“You don’t predeterminethe timing on that.[It would be] whenever thefinance director is able tocome up with a plan wherebythey recommend that thebudget be amended. Thatcould be a month. Thatcould be three months.”“We’ve backed ourselvesinto a corner,” Beallsaid.“That’s what I wasafraid we’d do,” Meine responded.Beall turned to Rodriguezand said, “Make yourmotion again.”She did, Beall secondedthe motion, and, by voicevote, Rodriguez, Wilkes andBeall voted yes and Meineabstained.Salary parity —Bassinger felt so stronglyabout increasing the salariesfor his officers that he issueda challenge to the council.The Krum News is published weekly, each Friday, byLemons Publications Inc. The Krum News is distributedFREE to newsstands throughout Krum each Thursdayafternoon. You can find it at any convenience store,bank, restaurant, and at other local businesses.Subscriptions for home delivery are available for $23 peryear for residents in Denton County.The staff of the Krum News includes:“I’ll make a deal withyou,” he said. “You bringthem up to pay parity andyou can take my salary –I’ll retire, and then you tryto hire a chief in here onwhat’s left of my salary aftergiving it to them. That’show bad I see the need forthem and their families. Ifyou want quality people,you’d better keep the peoplethat you’ve got under mebecause there’s some qualitypeople there, and you’regoing to lose them.”Bassinger’s presentationat an Aug. 14 budget workshopchided the council fornot keeping police salariesat a level that would enableKrum to be something morethan a training ground forother cities that paid more.He compared beginningpatrolman salaries at about$35,000 with beginningfirefighter salaries of about$42,000, and urged thecouncil to make a major adjustmentin his department.At the Aug. 22 budgetworkshop, Speights presenteda balanced budgetwith no tax increase thatincluded substantial salaryincreases for the Police Departmentand a salary stepEXTENDED HOURS!Tuesday-Friday 6am-5pm * Saturday 8am-NoonRJ’s Bakery~ A Sweet Shoppe ~10% OFF WITH THIS AD!Cupcakes • Cookies • and More!• Serving Lunch Daily1541 E. McCart St. • Suite C * Krum940-482-3999 (Jill)Lee Ann LemonsPublisherEmail: lee@lemonspublications.comBlake LemonsSportsEmail: blake@lemonspublications.comschedule for police and fire,plus a 3-percent increase forall other city employees.Rodriguez, at the Aug.22 meeting, defended pastcouncil budget action, sayingthe council had done everythingit could to give cityemployees some kind of anincrease every year; and hadhelped on the retirement bydoubling the city’s contribution.Speights said at theAug. 22 meeting that whenthe Police Department losesan employee, the cost of replacementis high.“There’s between sixand 14 weeks that thatsergeant has to work sideby-sidewith that new employee,training that newemployee,” she had said.“That’s a heckuva lot of salarywe’re losing.”But two budget-bustingitems came up between Aug.22 and Sept. 16, Speights reporteda week ago — the notificationfrom Washingtonthat all public service radiosystems would be requiredto convert from analog todigital within two years andthat an air conditioning systemhad broken down.That resulted in cuttingthe across-the-boardemployee raise from 3 percentto 2 percent and postponingaction for anotheryear on the step schedulefor the Police and Fire Departments,plus tapping theleftover fund balance in thegeneral fund for $170,000to help cover expendituresof $2,659,862 and $30,000in the fund balance forthe enterprise (water andsewer) fund to help cover$2,062,800 in expenses.Bassinger spoke outMonday night both in theCitizens Agenda portion atthe beginning of the councilmeeting and during the finalcouncil budget debate.He praised Speights forher hard work on the budgetand for her support forincreased salaries for hisdepartment, but continuedto press the council to finda way to make major raiseseffective during the comingfiscal year.“I’m asking the council,do not sit on this budgetand hurt the Police Department,hurt my officers, hurtthe city budget because ofthe turnover, and hurt thecitizens because of the turnover,”he pleaded. “We’vegot some excellent peoplehere right now. I’m still oneshort, and he went down theroad and got a job makingmore money.”Speights, during thebudget discussion later inthe meeting, voiced hercontinued support for morecompetitive income for policeofficers, but not until the2014-15 fiscal year budget.But, in response toBeall’s question, “What dowe have to do to give paritybetween the police and thefire?” she suggested parityfor police salaries with firefightersalaries and parityfor Krum Police Departmentsalaries with salariesin other North Texas cities’police departments weretwo different issues.“I’m going to speakhonestly and openly. I don’tsee a comparison betweenfire and police. I think it’sapples and oranges. We havepeople who work 120 hoursversus people who work 86hours,” Speights explained.“I think that they needto have parity with other PDoffices in towns of our sizeso that they aren’t a trainingground,” she said. “I agreedwith that, but I don’t agreethat you can compare fireand PD.”Birthday ads (and more) are FREEin the Krum News!Email your birthday greeting, anniversaryannouncement, birth announcement, wedding,or notice of accomplishments to us at:krum@lemonspublications.comor call 940-458-8515 for more information“If PD worked 120hours they would far exceedwhat fire is making rightnow,” she said. “It’s just amatter of what their scheduleis. So, again, I believethey are being underpaid,but I believe they need tobe compared and analyzedwith other cities of our size.”The step increase plan— “What are we going todo to get them to compareto other cities of our size?”Beall asked.“Between now and Januaryof 2015, when we actuallydo the step increasesduring this [coming] year,I can do long-term analysisand I can get surveys doneand I can put in place meritincreases for all city employees— fire, PD, administrative,public works, and thelibrary,” Speights spelledout her salary plan. “Thatway, we can look at it froma five-step merit, but again,the merits will be based ontheir performance duringthat year, and upon the recommendationsof the director,human resources, andthen, finally, approval by themayor or council, howeverwe want to do it.”“Why 2015?” Meineasked.“Because at this currentpoint we don’t have a baseappraisal. I‘ve not found anyappraisals,” she said. “PDmay be different and doingit internally, but I have internalrecords for everyoneelse. We’re not doing reversereviews or appraisals. Theystopped. The January appraisals,which I’m going tomake sure they get done oneveryone, then, from therewe’ll have a baseline, andin January 2015, which willbe when they will be doneagain, we know what theirperformance was duringthat year and do an increasethen. We did a 2-percentacross-the-board this year tohelp but [next year] we canfigure in the merit increases.”Bassinger expressed hisworry about how police officerscould ever catch upif the baseline were establishedas of January 2014.“You’re looking at payincreases based on performanceand evaluation anda percentage low,” Bassingersaid. “We’re looking at$4-and-5,000 difference inthese positions. And it variesbetween other officers.You’re talking about theovertime and the hours beingapples and oranges.”He contended that“the Fair Labor StandardsAct addressed that a longtime ago, concerning thepay periods and work periodsfor police and firemen.That’s the reason [the FireDepartment] is on that hundred-and-somethingschedule.They agreed to workthat.”The Fire Departmentalso can call on part-timefirefighters and volunteers,he said.“I do want to mentionI know you want additionalpeople,” Speights said, “butI can tell you in this budgetwe’ve also taken code enforcementand animal controlinto contract, so theywon’t be things you’ll haveto take care of from now on.We are contracting both ofthose out to free up some ofthe pressure that’s in yourdepartment because of staffing,so it’s not that we wantto disregard these guys. Wedon’t. Absolutely not.”The timing of a decisionthat would have long-termeffects on the budget alsoneeded to be considered.“I would not be fiscallyresponsible if I said that wecould afford it for the nextfive years,” she pointed out.Meine was worriedabout 12-hour shifts in thePolice Department.“How many policemendo you have?” he asked.“Seven?”Though there are sevenpositions budgeted, Bassingersaid, “I just have six. I’vebeen one short for a coupleof months.”“Is that including you?”Meine asked.“Yes, sir.”“Six people, 24 hoursa day, seven days a week,”Meine said. “That’s not onea day.”Lindsey RindalAdvertising DirectorEmail: lindsey@lemonspublications.comJohn CallarmanVolunteer WriterEmail: JohnCallarman@msn.comTo submit news items to the Krum News,please email:krum@lemonspublications.comThe weekly deadline to submit news articles, photos, andletters to the editor is each Tuesday at 5 p.m. Items acceptedafter the deadline will be published only as timeand space permit. Publication of all items is at the solediscretion of the publisher.The weekly deadline to submit display advertising iseach Tuesday at Noon. The weekly deadline to submit aclassified ad is each Wednesday at 2 p.m.LEMONS PUBLICATIONS, INC.Sanger News | Krum News | Denton Business Journal412 Bolivar St. on the square in downtown Sanger(inside Steve Robinson Photography,next door to Radio Shack)Mailing Address:PO Box 250, Sanger TX 76266940-458-8515 phone940-458-8011 faxWebsite: www.lemonspublications.comENROLL NOW FOR OURPrivate PRE-K!Experienced Staff • Professionally DesignedCurriculum • Christian, Structured Environment• Rock• Topsoil• Mulch✪✫✴✺✵✴✄✹✧✴✪✄✠✭✸✧✼✫✲✎✄✯✴✩✑We Deliver – Any Size LoadLearning Academy3-Star CCS CenterNOW ACCEPTING NEW ENROLLMENTAges 6 weeksthrough 12 years940.482.7220Specializing in:• Blended Soils• Sand• Flex Base• Compost• Etc.• Delivery of All Materials•Driveway & Parking Area Installation & Repair• Roads & CulvertsSince198010531 FM 2450 Sanger TX 76266 / Steve & Paula Shackleford - Owners✲✵✩✧✲✄✜✗✓✏✘✙✙✏✗✙✙✗✺✵✲✲✄✬✸✫✫✄✔✏✛✓✓✏✖✕✔✏✖✖✕✕❯❯❯✑✪❈▲❘▼▲✹❄▲❇✧▲❇✭❄❚❈❏✑❆▼❑7262 Gregg Rd.,Krum“FastDependableService”Tickets $11, $16, $21, $26, $31 & $36940-458-5413Financing Availablewww.curtismotorcompany.com