Dear Council members, My understanding is that city workers are due for a 2.5% increase in July and, with anticipated cuts in revenue, the city does not have the funds for this increase or even to pay current employees at current rates. Situations like this sometimes occur with Silicon Valley companies. Our experience is that successful companies respond with one or more of the following: layoff workers, cut hours by a significant percent, or keep the hours but cut wages. These cuts impat all employees with the higher paid employees getting a bigger percentage cut than lower wage employees. Based upon salaries published in a local paper, Menlo Park employees seem to be paid more and have better benefits than employees of most other Bay Area cities and private companies. The City Council appears to give them whatever they want regardless of what we can afford. There is a failure to recognize that revenue like hotel and sales taxes can make wide swings from year to year. Pensions are increased without regard to ERISA funding requirements that apply to the private sector. My recollection is that some years ago the City Council increased the retirement multipler from 1.5% to 2.5% with NO public discussion. They claimed this was only a 1% increase which shows an enormous lack of math training. None of you were on the council then, but you must live with the consequences. I suggest the following: 1. Thoroughly evaluate all city staff, and lay off those who are not essential or productive. What departments could function with fewer staff positions? 2. Require that full time employees work a full forty hour week. No more Fridays off and no more one hour coffee breaks at local cafes. 3. Outsource staff positions when it saves the city money. 4. Determine which city functions are of little value. Eliminate these functions and lay off or reassign the employees. 5. Eliminate excessive overtime, and eliminate all overtime for those in management positions. Managers should be 'exempt.' 6. Apply across the board salary cuts with higher paid positions taking a higher percentage cut. 7. In the future salary increases should be based on merit rather than having every employee getting a standard increase. 8. Adopt a less generous retirement formula for new employees. 9. Require employees to contribute more toward their retirement and medical. 10. Do not allow unions to contribute money or volunteers to city elections. Their involvement looks suspicious. 11. Encourage commerce in Menlo Park to maintain sales tax revenue. This includes providing convenient parking for shoppers. 12. Use emergency funds only when absolutely necessary. We do not know how long this emergency will last. Much of our sales tax revenue loss will continue long after the coronavirus is conquered. Please run our city in the black. Best regards, Anita Ochieano 1795 Stanford Avenue Received on Mon May 04 2020 - 16:02:11 PDT
