Special City Council meeting set to discuss resignations, morale

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

In the midst of a $1.68 million budget shortfall, two Jefferson City officials have decided to step down.

On Tuesday, the city announced the resignations of Public Works Director Roger Schwartze and Communications Manager Michelle Gleba. Schwartze’s resignation becomes effective April 1, while Gleba’s resignation will be effective March 26.

Schwartze said he had decided to resign because of the city’s financial troubles.

“Obviously the city’s got a severe budget crisis,” Schwartze said. “We may not be able to avoid layoffs so I’m starting with myself.”

The city is struggling to deal with a nearly $1.7 million budget shortfall that was revealed Feb. 25. The City Council is considering a number of proposed cuts, including cuts to every department, cuts to economic development services and cuts to city-funded events. Furloughs and layoffs could be possible as the council has directed staff to look for an additional $150,000 to $400,000 in cuts, on top of the $1.68 million in cuts detailed in the proposed plan the council will consider Monday.

Schwartze said he is not eligible to partake in the city’s early retirement program, which provides incentives for employees to retire. Gleba also said she is not eligible for the early retirement program.

At the moment, the city plans to leave both positions vacant, though an interim public works director is expected to be named soon. The city is discussing a hiring freeze to last until the end of fiscal year 2014.

“I’ve certainly enjoyed working for the city,” Schwartze said. “It’s a tough budget situation. I’m just trying to help them out.”

Gleba said she is looking forward to focusing on new opportunities.

“I have truly enjoyed working for the city,” Gleba said.

At a special City Council meeting Monday, 3rd Ward Councilman Bryan Pope questioned the merits of having a communications manager, asking why it was necessary to have someone employed to manage Facebook and Twitter.

“We don’t have the nerve to maybe look at some other line item employee categories that are certainly not as important as public safety,” Pope said Monday.

Schwartze began working with the city Jan. 3, 2012, and earned a salary of $99,000. Gleba began working with the city in March 2010 and earned a salary of $57,000.

City Administrator Nathan Nickolaus and Mayor Eric Struemph did not return messages for comment.

The City Council has scheduled a special meeting for 8 a.m. Thursday to discuss budget issues, resignations and morale.

More like this story

JCLifer 2 months, 1 week ago

Signs of the times... City Hall is just experiencing what the private sector and State Government, and more recently the Federal Government have been experiencing for quite some time. Welcome to the era of doing more with less; consolidating multiple job duties on the few who are left; no more salary increases; erosion of fringe benefits; and general malaise in the workplace with no signs of improvement anywhere. It isn't a happy time, but if you can somehow survive, you will be termed a success. Feel fortunate that at least your management acknoledges the problems and is holding a meeting. Most organizations management is numb and/or uncaring. Good luck, and may God help us all.

GrumpyGus 2 months, 1 week ago

Ummm perhaps hire a finance director who pays attention to both sides of the ledger?! $1.6 million shortfalls don't just sneak up on you.

JCLifer 2 months, 1 week ago

Looks like the city has known for over 10 years that it has had financial problems, according to this article from the NT archives:

*Balanced budget approved for city Author: News Tribune Date: October 17, 2002 Publication: Jefferson City News-Tribune (MO)

Debate over how to settle the City of Jefferson's budget woes broke out Wednesday evening at a meeting of the city's finance committee; however, members finally agreed to a balanced budget. Decreasing sales tax revenues and a cloudy economic future made this year's budget much more difficult for council members to finalize. In the end, the council approved $141,000 in adjustments to reach a balanced budget that did not dip into the...*

3blindmice 2 months, 1 week ago

And tax payers will never know the answers because there is no person in the city capable of asking who, what, when, and where. They went straight from there is a shortfall to where do we make cuts

JCLifer 2 months, 1 week ago

Tme to cancel the convention center and use some of those funds to prop up the poor finances.

We can't afford to build and run a convention center anyway. Pipe dreams...

FussyOno 2 months, 1 week ago

Jefferson City is a boring, dried up, never was. It should just die. Running jokes: "Old Munichberg" "Trolley" "Convention Center" "Penitentary" Ha, Ha Ha Ha............

JCLifer 2 months, 1 week ago

You forgot a few: "Wear's Creek Riverwalk"; "Festival District"; "Feel the History"; "OldTown"; "Round-about"; "MegaSchool"; "Mud Tunnel"; Gravelbar Park; Charette"; "Greenway"; "Walk Up the hill to Downtown";etc.

Someone sure has a wild imagination!

sancho 2 months, 1 week ago

3blindmice I don't agree with your comment. To me, the correct approach is to cut back, and then figure out what caused this. That's what I would do if this happened in my home budget. If I thought my income was $1000 a month, and I made a budget based on that, and then I learned I was short $200 a month, I would immediately figure out where to cut back - stop eating out, as Dave Ramsey says eat beans and rice, use my car as little as possible, don't buy anything I don't absolutely need, etc. Then when my income and expenses are balanced, I would figure out what caused this.

I think our city council has 10 human beings, who are not perfect. But they are smart people and will work through this. As to your statement the tax payers will never know, as I recall that's how the county dealt with the surtax fiasco. I remember hearing that someone made a mistake many years ago, but I never heard who made the mistake, and how the error was made. So hopefully the same approach will not occur here.

JDub 2 months, 1 week ago

Seems like now is the time you'd want a communications director. Why the huge shortfall, council?

RobHunterJohnson 2 months, 1 week ago

Sancho, most of us are on budgeting our finances now! Bank interest is down, Good Jobs with benefits are short, most have lost in stocks, mutual funds, Gasoline is up, and the price of everything is up, or packaged in a smaller portion just to name a few. rob

CEM 2 months, 1 week ago

$99,000 is a pretty healthy salary for a city in this situation. And I'm sorry, did they just say we were paying someone $57,000 a year to run Facebook and Twitter accounts? Don't think it's too much of a mystery why we're in this boat. Look around and you a lot of hands in the cookie jar.

sancho 2 months, 1 week ago

Rob, as I recall during the budget process last year the city was trying to budget their finances. They worked long and hard on the budget, scaled back spending, etc. They apparently didn't know about the problem they are now facing. I know you pay attention to what is going on, and I suspect you recall that last year they looked at cutting back public transportation and JCTV, among other things.

I do believe CEM has touched on a concern that I have, and that is the salaries that we pay city staff. I have a lot of respect for city staff and think they work hard, and produce good results. But as a state retiree, I knew what state employees were and are paid, and I believe we should not be paying city employees at the high rate that we have been. I've heard many stories about people working for the state, doing jobs comparable to city staff, and earning less. Missouri needs to raise state employees salaries. But in the current economic climate, I think Jefferson City needs to make sure we pay city staff a reasonable amount, not too much and not too little.

I'd be interested in seeing a comparison of what Jefferson City pays our staff, compared to other Missouri cities. Or has the News Tribune already done that?

Rbreb13 2 months, 1 week ago

I'd be interested in seeing a comparison of what Jefferson City pays our staff, compared to other Missouri cities. Or has the News Tribune already done that?<

I too would like to see that. A very good idea for a NT article/expose.

Oh and BTW I'll take that communications position for half that wage! lol

JCLifer 2 months, 1 week ago

I recall a comparison/salary survey was done and published a year or so ago. Perhaps the editor can find it and post a link. I believe jc was a little on the higg side for some positiins but not by much.

Rbreb13 2 months, 1 week ago

Thanks, but I've only lived here for the past 6 months. I'm a relative newb to the local political scene.

mleroux 2 months, 1 week ago

The News Tribune ran two stories on Dec. 23 looking at the pay of Jefferson City department heads as compared to University City, Cape Girardeau, Chesterfield, Joplin and Columbia.

newstribune.com/news/2012/dec/23/city-pays-many-its-officials-slightly-more-average/ newstribune.com/news/2012/dec/23/city-pay-ranges-can-be-moving-target/

Madeleine Leroux/News Tribune reporter

JCLifer 2 months, 1 week ago

Yes, that i what I was thinking about. THANKS!

RobHunterJohnson 2 months, 1 week ago

All levels of goverment need to find the waste, it is there - just look? Last week I commented on 4 trucks at or around Lowes at 2.30 in the afternoon? They may have had a reason, but I just want my money spent right at all levels. I just drove down Winston Dr 1100 blk, it looks like the street going to fall in! Jefferson City like all is having troubles, because folks are not funding sales taxes, because almost everyone is short! We do not need a $57,000. Face Booker, Could I qualify for that, problaly not enough dexterity in my fingers! We need that position gone, or we will have a corpral tunnel payout at some time in the future! The state has tightend the reins, and we need wise decisions from all. Yes the city dropped the hint last year about the sametime we got a face book page at the mall? Rob

JCLifer 2 months, 1 week ago

Lowering salaries in this depressed area is not the answer. You cannot attract and retain good people on low salaries. We need to pay well in order to attract good people.

State government salaries are so far out of whack compared to the rest of the states that they should not be used for comparison to anything. Most front line managers and technical people in mo state government are paid less than half what other states pay.

You can't make chicken salad with chicken poop.

jfester 2 months, 1 week ago

KRCG TV reported today the Thursday meeting (today) at the council lasted about 15 minutes; big deal ~ 15 minutes

Please review our Policies and Procedures before registering or commenting

Or login with:

OpenID

News Tribune

Breaking News