Nov 2

Nov 2 BJ Murphy: So, about last month...again

At the October 5th Kinston City Council meeting, the elected members unanimously approved two motions allowing city employees new vacation days for June 19 and Election Day. With roughly less than five minutes of discussion, both motions passed. Only after Neuse News reported on the story where they confirmed there’d be “no extra cost” to the city payroll did the public learn that each day’s payroll for the city is $53,604. Not to mention that our team reported that the city has employees that work on holidays, which means they’d get paid time and a half, which also means that there would be an “extra cost” to the taxpayers and ratepayers.

Fast forward to the end of early voting.

As of Saturday, October 31, Lenoir County had 23,658 ballots cast, representing 61.2% voter turnout between One-Stop and Absentee ballots. To put that into perspective, in 2016 Lenoir County had 68.48% Total Voter Turnout, and in 2012 Lenoir County had 69.02% Total Voter Turnout. If history holds, then there will be less than 10% of eligible voters who will cast votes on Tuesday.

Now, back to the council’s unanimous, five-minute decision.

The City of Kinston has 378 positions on payroll and have about 350 positions filled at this time. Let’s assume all 350 are eligible to vote. If 70% take the time to vote, that will equate to approximately 245 employees exercising that right. Since 61.2% have already cast their ballots in our area, it would mean about 214 employees have already done so.

In other words, 245 employees are likely to vote and 214 (61.2% of 350) are likely to have already voted. This means that based on years of history and current city employment numbers that we could expect 31 employees to vote on Election Day at the cost of $53,604 in productivity and time and a half for our police, fire and other essential employees.

Based on historical numbers, the cost per vote on Election Day (31) is roughly $1,729, plus time and a half.

If we experience 75% Voter Turnout and 263 employees vote, then the cost per vote (49) on Election Day would be $1,094. If we experience 80% Voter Turnout and 280 employees vote, then the cost per vote (66) on Election Day would be $812.

Without regard to the actual productivity loss and real extra costs, the mayor and council rushed through an in-perpetuity policy. Why not merely give every city employee an extra hour for lunch? That would have cost the taxpayers and ratepayers close to $7,000.

To put this loss in perspective, to resurface our desperately needed roads on a 25-year life cycle, we would need to spend about $600,000 per year. We are lucky if the council will spend $200,000 this year, but we just gave up $107,208 for two holidays.

I am not disputing the merits of holidays, simply the lack of financial acumen when it comes to policy.

We cannot have a sound policy without a discussion of the pros and cons.

We cannot truly represent all the citizens when there is a rush.

We cannot impose a poor policy for the sake of trying to be socially relevant.

The city spent months discussing replacing the scoreboard at Grainger Stadium because of its financial impact and ultimately decided on repairing it. If the council would’ve taken this holiday pay decision just as seriously, they would’ve realized there is an extra cost and there is a real productivity loss to our community. Maybe outside of groupthink, they would have realized an extra hour for lunch would have been the compromise needed to implement good policy and save face.

Win/Win

Oct 9: City confirms time and a half for two new holidays, $53,604 daily payroll

See the previous blog about the City of Kinston:
July 8: So, about last month...