Multiple Rohnert Park public-works employees urge 3% raise, say pay is 16% below market

A string of public commenters at the July 22 meeting urged the Rohnert Park City Council to act on long-standing compensation concerns for non-public-safety staff.

Bobby Bowman, a parks maintenance worker, and several other city employees described rising costs of living, recruitment challenges and lower tenure averages among new hires. Fleet services supervisor Martine Ailla said the city maintains about 235 pieces of equipment with effectively 156 pieces per mechanic, compared with a typical public-sector ratio near 75 pieces per mechanic.

David Valencia, chapter president for SEIU 1021, said the union sought a 3% across-the-board increase for represented employees; he estimated that the ongoing cost to the city would be about $141,000 annually. Speakers said the city had approved equity adjustments in prior sessions that were not implemented and expressed frustration at decisions that raised rates (water) while leaving base pay behind.

Several speakers emphasized retention concerns: one said the average tenure for public-works employees had fallen to under five years from about 14 previously, reducing institutional knowledge and service continuity.

Council members thanked employees for speaking and asked management for additional budget context; no council vote on wages was held that night.

Why it matters: City staff pay affects service continuity and the cost of recruitment; modest across-the-board increases, if adopted, would have a defined ongoing cost and implications for the general fund and enterprise funds.