By Andre Byik

abyik@redbluffdailynews.com @andrebyik on Twitter

RED BLUFF >> The Red Bluff City Council approved 4.5 percent raises for department heads and midmangement employees at its meeting Tuesday, bucking a 3 percent increase initially requested by the city manager.

City Manager Richard Crabtree told council members that city employees represented by the city's four bargaining groups such as police, firefighters and others have or will receive 4.5 percent raises during the city's 2014-2015 fiscal year.

The unrepresented managers who oversee those employees, however, were not scheduled to receive any raises this year per the city's budget, Crabtree said. He added that the recommended 3 percent salary increase came "out of fairness to these employees who supervise people who have received 4.5 percent raises."

The City Council last year approved 3 percent raises for management and midmangement employees, and council members Tuesday initially considered a request for 3 percent raises, retroactively effective July 1, 2014.

Eighteen positions, of which five are listed vacant, including the positions of the Red Bluff fire chief, fire marshal, associate and assistant civil engineers and a building official, would have received raises that were estimated to cost the city about $15,400 annually.

The approved 4.5 percent increases bumped that number to about $23,100 per year.

The request came on the heels of a positive budget update presented to the City Council in August, when the city's finance director, Sandy Ryan, said the city's general fund balance at the end of next June was estimated to be about $1 million. The figure was a jump from an earlier estimate that pegged the city's general fund balance next June at about $500,000.

"If the employees got 4.5 percent, why aren't their managers getting 4.5 percent?," Councilman Clay Parker said, adding that while the managers didn't bargain for raises, "They are still doing a great job, and they're good employees. Why wouldn't we give them 4.5 instead of 3?"

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Red Bluff City Council approves raises for department heads, managers