Meanwhile, city councilmembers would see their base salary rise from $41,600 to $45,644 — a roughly 9.7% increase.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte city employees are pushing back against a proposed budget that would give elected officials raises more than double what the majority workers are set to receive.
The $4.5 billion budget proposal includes a 4% raise for the average city worker. Meanwhile, city councilmembers would see their base salary rise from $41,600 to $45,644 — a roughly 9.7% increase. The mayor’s raise is even larger, at 14.6%, bringing that position’s salary to $57,054.
K. Ortiz, a utility technician for Charlotte Water, said the disparity feels like a slap in the face to essential workers.
“If we didn’t do our job, you wouldn’t be able to turn your water on, you wouldn’t be able to flush your toilet, firefighters wouldn’t be able to fight fires,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz and his colleagues are pushing for a 7% raise instead of the 4% currently proposed.
“Even with a 4% raise, we still, after rent and bills, car notes, insurance, we can barely feed our families,” Ortiz said. “Makes us feel like we’re unappreciated, like the work we do is not as important as it is.”
Kass Ottley, who represents the city workers union, said she attended the budget hearing and was troubled that the elected officials’ raises were never brought up publicly.
“I sat through the whole budget hearing, and if we’re going to be fair and transparent about where the money in the city is going, I think it should have been at least mentioned,” Ottley said. “They keep saying they value these employees, and that’s great. But words are cheap when you can’t pay your rent, and you can’t pay your bills. So, we need more than words. We need fair compensation.”
The group plans to march next week to push for more equitable raises.
Ross Marchand, executive director of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said the timing of the pay disparity is particularly troubling given a proposed property tax increase already in the budget — one that City Manager Marcus Jones has warned may need to go even higher to fit in everything Council wants.
“This is completely unacceptable. There needs to be transparency, and there needs to be accountability,” Marchand said. “We have a cost-of-living crisis in this country, and we have a taxation crisis.”
The proposed budget would also break a longstanding pay parity between Charlotte Fire and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. CMPD officers are currently slated for a 10% raise, while Charlotte Fire is set to receive 7%.
City council will hold a straw vote meeting on proposed amendments next week. A final budget vote is expected June 8.
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