Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Finance committee advances staffing changes, non‑union pay edits and CDBG appropriation
Summary
Athens finance and personnel committee advanced adjustments to the 2026 staffing ordinance (reducing several positions) and housekeeping changes to the non‑union pay schedule, and moved a $120,000 CDBG appropriation and a $30,000 transfer for police vehicle leases forward to council for ordinance readings.
The finance and personnel committee on May 26 advanced a set of administrative staffing and pay changes and cleared several budget items for full council consideration.
Chair Beth opened the committee with a roster of proposed staffing changes tied to recent retirements, saying the ordinance will "reduce lab technicians from two to one," remove one parking enforcement position (from five to four) and eliminate one water meter reader while retaining another position supported by forthcoming meter‑upgrade technology. She described the items as largely housekeeping needed to align the ordinance with recent staffing departures.
Committee members reviewed a package of non‑union pay and benefits edits. The proposal would move lab technician positions from paygrade 7 to 6, remove outdated class two/three language and remove double‑time for lab technicians while preserving it for supervisory staff. Committee members clarified these changes apply to non‑union positions and do not require a union bargaining process.
On appropriations, staff requested an appropriation of $120,000 from a CDBG fund (a 2024 allocation proposed for a 2026 project) to support sidewalk work in a distressed area of the city, and a $30,000 internal transfer to reclassify budgeted police vehicle lease expenses. Chair Beth said the CDBG appropriation will be used for sidewalk repairs on West State Street, and Mayor Patterson confirmed the grant rules require projects serve identified areas of need.
A $7,500 Fourth of July line item was pulled for additional information and will be discussed at a scheduled committee meeting before the next regular session.
Outcome: Committee members indicated no objections to bringing the staffing ordinance changes, pay edits and the CDBG appropriation forward to council for the usual readings next week; no final votes were recorded at the committee meeting.
