T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA St.Clairsville Council member Kristi Lipscomb says that council doesn’t want to just give a 3% raise across the board because some employees aren’t at their proper pay scale and wouldn’t receive the amount of money they deserve.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE – St. Clairsville City Council has tabled the ordinance that would see all non-elected and nonunion employees receive a 3% raise.

During Monday’s council meeting, council decided to table the third reading of the ordinance.

Council member Audrey Brahler said the reasoning for council’s decision was because the city’s finance committee is working with Law Director Joe Vavra to create legislation to get all of the non-elected and nonunion employees on a level playing field before approving a 3% raise across the board.

She said council doesn’t want to give a 3% raise across the board and needs to get people to their pay scale first.

“We’ll make sure every employee is within their respective pay scale, and then once we get everybody in that pay scale, then we can do an across-the-board salary raise for everybody,” Brahler said.

Senior Executive Administrative Assistant Elaina Moscato, who also handles much of the city’s human resources responsibilities, said she’s been working diligently on Standard Occupational Classification codes and job descriptions for the non-elected and nonunion employees.

“I had all of these superintendents and managers take a survey test to determine their percentages on what they do daily and what their tasks are,” Moscato said.

Mayor Kathryn Thalman added that she would like to “toot Moscato’s horn” for the amount of hard work she has put into making sure the workers are compensated fairly.

“She has worked so hard putting together a survey for every piece of what they do with their job. I mean, it has been a very deep dive, and I would have pulled my hair out, but you have done that,” Thalman said. “She’s worked with the supervisors, and when all these SOC codes come out, you can definitely tell that they will be accurate and inclusive.”

Council member Kristi Lipscomb replied that nobody on council is disagreeing that anybody isn’t working hard on making sure the employees are compensated fairly.

“No one is doubting that anyone’s working hard. We just need a policy in place on how we get raises for everyone,” Lipscomb said.

Council member Lucien Murzyn added that the policy needed is one that is objectively fair for all non-elected and nonunion employees.

Moscato replied that although she agrees, the longer it takes, the more employees will fall behind the cost of living.

“You have your cost-of-living adjustment that goes up every year, and that’s why we want to give a raise across the board to everybody, and we will,” Brahler said. “I don’t want to talk for everybody, but from the sounds of it, we’re all for that. We just don’t want to give a 3% raise to everybody, but so-and-so isn’t even at their pay scale yet.”

Moscato replied that every time council does not give a 3% raise, the employees still fall behind.

Lipscomb said there are currently people with certain job classifications who aren’t even making what they should be making.

“So we don’t want to give them a 3% raise because those people won’t be getting what they deserve,” Lipscomb said.

Brahler added that she believes everyone is on the same side of the debate and that everyone wants these employees to receive the raise they deserve.

“I’m very confident that this will all come together well,” Thalman said. “I’ve talked to other mayors recently, and the things we’re dealing with are pretty much just speed bumps. You guys have a lot to be proud of.”