First line supervisors, mid managers, police officers and Public Safety mid-managers will be receiving an 8 percent salary increase following negotiations and approved by the Ceres City Council in a 4-1 vote.

The pay increase began on July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

The city is also giving shift differentials for the police dispatch supervisor to the tune of 2.5% for swing shift and a 5 percent shift differential for graveyard shift.

Compensation for employees who are required to handle telephone calls and related work from home shall be paid for the actual minutes worked at a rate of time-and-one-half. 

As of Jan. 1, the city shall contribute the following amounts toward the combined premiums to medical, dental, and vision on a semi-monthly basis:

• $810 monthly for employees enrolled in employee only medical coverage.

• $1,600 monthly for employees enrolled in employee plus one medical coverage

 • $2,250 monthly for employees enrolled in employee plus family (more than one dependent) medical coverage.

City workers also get 12 paid city holidays and one paid personal holiday.

The first line supervisors group includes: Account Clerk II – Confidential, Accountant Administrative Secretary-Confidential, Code Enforcement Supervisor, Deputy City Clerk, Facility Maintenance Supervisor, Fleet Services Supervisor, Human Resources Analyst, Human Resources Technician, Landscape Maintenance Supervisor, Payroll Technician I/II, Police Dispatch Supervisor, Recreation Supervisor, Revenue & Customer Service Supervisor, Senior Account Clerk-Confidential, Streets Maintenance Supervisor, Wastewater Systems Supervisor  and Water Distribution Supervisor.

The mid-managers group includes the city clerk, deputy Finance Director, Deputy Public Works Director, Information Technology Manager, Public Works Superintendent, Recreation Manager and the Redevelopment & Economic Development Manager.

The city is bumping up the allowance for police officer uniforms to $1,500 annually.

Also being offered to officers with 10 or more years of sworn law enforcement experience is a five percent longevity pay differential.

The Ceres Public Safety Mid Managers Association includes the police captain and lieutenant positions. They will also be receiving a longevity pay differential of five percent for 10 years of sworn law enforcement experience with three spent in continuous service with the City of Ceres. 

The city is also increasing the allowance given to first line supervisors who must wear boots on the job, including the wastewater treatment supervisor. That allowance increases to $250 per year.

Ceres resident John Warren asked how much the pay increases will be costing the city and when told the numbers weren’t available, questioned how the council could possibly vote to approve.

Councilman James Casey voted no on pay raises, clarifying that he’s not against employee raises but saying he didn’t like how the budget was formulated.

“On the 18th I asked if we passed a preliminary budget to be reviewed again in September to make sure that we had the funds in place, I was told no, that we either pass the budget as is and that we can’t make adjustments. I want you to understand that I’m not against giving hard-working employees compensation as needed but I can’t vote for it …”