(Posted April 24, 2015)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
After much debate, London city council approved changes to hourly pay rates and salaries for employees at the municipal swimming pool.
The new starting pay rates for hourly employees are as follows: maintenance, $8.10 (was $8.05); clerk, $8.15 (was $7.70); and lifeguard, $8.45 (same). Increases in pay after the first year are determined by performance. In some cases, those step rates went up; in others, they went down.
The pool manager will be paid a $9,000 salary for the season (was $8,000). The assistant pool manager position was created for this year at a salary of $5,000. Last year, two recreation assistants were used.
Some of the changes were based on bringing pay rates in line with Ohio’s new minimum wage of $8.10 per hour.
Linda Granger, pool manager, said that with the changes, the pool employee expense for this year should be roughly the same as last year, if the pool is open the same number of days. She noted, however, that because of the dates on which Memorial Day and Labor Day fall (the traditional start and stop dates to the pool season), the 2015 season will be 15 days longer than last year. She also noted that last summer was wet and cold and, therefore, the pool was not open every day. That means there is a potential for more expense this year, she said.
Councilman Jason Schwaderer said the changes in pay scale should have been brought to council last year during the budgeting process. He also expressed concern about how the pool plans to stay in budget when the amount council appropriated for the pool this year is less than what was appropriated last year.
“We’re trying to offer the best we can with what we have,” said Tony Brake, parks and recreation director.
Concern was expressed over the 12 percent increase in salary for the pool manager. Councilman Rex Castle said the increase is meant to cover the additional duties the pool manager has this year, as well as the longer season.
“There’s going to be more than a 12 percent increase in work,” he added.
Council voted unanimously to approve the new pay rates.
