City workers can’t keep up with growing Meridian’s workload. This is what may happen next
Meridian Mayor Robert Simison proposed an 8.5% increase in the city budget for next year, attributing the increase to the need for new employees to accommodate the fast-growing city.
The proposed fiscal year 2024 expenditure budget is $165.5 million, up from last year’s $152 million. Some budget details are still being worked out and will be available for public viewing on Tuesday, July 18, said Stephany Galbreaith, a spokesperson for the city.
The city plans to take over half of the allowable 3% increase in property taxes next year. That is less than what the city took last year, 2.37%. The increase would result in an estimated increase of $0.26 per $100,000 of taxable property value each month.
The property tax increase will result in about a $1.04 per month property tax increase on a home valued at $400,000, said Galbreaith.
One of the biggest increases in the budget is personnel costs.
Simison proposes to add 16 full-time employees, including six police officers and a police records clerk. He also seeks to add three parks maintenance technicians, a water operator and a human resources generalist, among other jobs.
Some City Council members say the additions may not be enough.
“I do believe that we have departments that are really struggling with employees that are working longer hours,” Council Member Jessica Perreault said in a budget workshop. “We have departments that are doing their very best to be efficient but still are not able to get tasks done that they would prefer to have done, and things are getting set aside that some staff believe should be completed.”
Perreault suggested that the city circulate a survey throughout city departments to analyze which areas the city could add resources.
“...We haven’t increased positions at the rate at which our city has grown, and I have not seen what I would consider an appropriate study on how many staff we should have per department,” Perreault said.
With the latest budget proposal, Meridian, population 138,600, would have 624.5 full-time employees. That is less than half as many as Boise, which has over 2,300 employees, most full-time, serving a population of 247,000. That works out to 4.5 employees per 1,000 residents in Meridian and 9.3 in Boise.
Other council members agreed that an employee survey would be a good next step, but Simison said he relies on department heads to let his office know when their employees may be overburdened and need tasks off their plates.
The budget is scheduled to be available for public viewing at a council meeting on Tuesday, July 18. The deadline for written public comments 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the budget at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2.
