The Odessa City Council will meet Tuesday morning at the Holiday Inn to review a draft of the city’s FY23-24 budget and to discuss the compensation study that was completed last year.
Mayor Javier Joven has repeatedly discussed his desire for zero-based budgeting, which is a method of budgeting where your income minus expenses equals zero. He has also been pushing department heads to determine which, if any, of their vacant positions actually need to be filled.
This year the city council has been going through the budget process without Assistant City Manager Cindy Muncy, who resigned following the December terminations of City Manager Michael Marrero and City Attorney Natasha Brooks. Budget Manager Zackary Besiril and Finance Director Larry Fry have also left the city, but Fry offered his continued assistance in his retirement notice.
According to the city’s website, they are still seeking applicants for Besiril and Fry’s positions.
Last July, the city council voted unanimously to pay Evergreen Solutions more than $111,000 for a compensation study for all city employees after Odessa Fire Rescue personnel begged the council for raises, citing an exceedingly high turnover rate.
Prior to the completion of the study, the council voted to use American Rescue Plan Act money to give the firefighters raises, along with police officers and emergency call takers and dispatchers.
Evergreen said on average the city was paying its general government employees 4-7% below their peer cities.
Evergreen Solutions also said preliminary figures showed that if the city were to decide to only address beginning salaries for general government and public safety employees, it could cost the city $7.5 million to $9.5 million.
Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn, 5275 E. 42nd Street.
