Turlock City Employees To Receive Raises
TURLOCK (CBS13) -- City employees in Turlock are getting a nice bonus in time for Christmas.
Revenue is up 2 percent, which might not sound like much, but when you add that to major cost-cutting, Turlock achieved something not heard of very often these days -- a nice budget boost worth millions.
City Manager Roy Wasden says said all employees will get 4.5 percent more in their paychecks beginning Dec. 5 and extending over the next seven months.
"It will make the holidays a little brighter we hope," he said.
The city planned to spend $2.2 million in reserve money but saved so much they never had to tap into that. In fact they added $50,000 to their reserves, unheard of in times of tight budgets.
"We were able to hang on to precious dollars for next year's budget," Mayor John Lazar said. "Those that work for us are our neighbors and our friends."
"It actually does surprise me," one Turlock resident said. "The whole country's doing bad."
But in Turlock, more people seem to be keeping their cash in their community.
"I try to keep local to help out the community," Antoine Harmon said.
The city saved some by laying off 23 employees in 2009, freezing several positions and gold old-fashioned penny-pinching.
The city is staying optimistic for next year when Blue Diamond almonds is expected to break ground.
