Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/140592
Sarasota News Leader June 28, 2013 Page 41 June 21 about plans of some of the county's other employers regarding raises. Sarasota Memorial Hospital, for example, provided a 4 percent average wage hike in the 2012 fiscal year, with an average increase of 3 percent built into the FY 2013 and FY 2014 budgets, a chart showed. PGT Industries, the county's sixth largest employer, offered 2 percent across-the-board increases in FY 2012 and FY 2013; company representatives said they were looking at implementing merit pay adjustments in the 2014 fiscal year. Most manufacturing companies declined to offer salary information to the county, Reid explained, because of worries about competition for workers. However, he pointed out, he meets regularly with representatives of local firms each month. One manufacturer had indicated "there are raises being given" by manufacturing companies in the area, he added. Commissioner Joe Barbetta considers a matter on June 21. Photo by Rachel Hackney On June 12, Reid reminded the board that county employees began having to contribute 3 percent of their salaries to the Florida Retirement System (FRS) in FY 2011. Nonetheless, Reid continued, many smaller businesses — including "mom-and-pop" operations — are having difficulty providing higher wages because the economy has not improved sufficiently since the recession began. Commissioner Joe Barbetta requested data on healthcare costs for the employers on the chart Reid provided, while Robinson asked for details on how much the county pays for its employees' healthcare benefits. Reid also pointed out to the county commissioners that between 2011 and 2014, projected figures showed the cost of Sarasota County employees' health insurance plans will have risen by 20 percent. Employees will see the annual cost of one type of family plan go from $5,470 in FY 2013 to a projected figure of $6,194 in FY 2014, according to a county chart. Barbetta further pointed to a detail in Reid's PowerPoint presentation, showing the county had reduced its number of full-time equivalent employees by 13 percent over the past six years. Reid noted that the healthcare expenses keep rising in spite of the fact the county has "pretty innovative efforts to try to contain costs," including the offer of screening for various health problems. "I don't want to use that as a benchmark," Barbetta told Reid. "I want to start from today, because I think we were fat six years ago or seven years ago. We all have a different perspective on it, though. Those were good times, and we had a lot of employees." Barbetta added, "We sucked it up and trimmed it down, and things still went forward pretty well." %