FARMVILLE – Town employees will receive Christmas bonuses this year based on their years of employment with the Town of Farmville.

Town Council is also set to adopt new pay grades and scales.

Based on the Town Council-approved Christmas bonus plan, which comes in under budget, part-time employees working an average of 16 hours a week will receive $50; full-time employees with less than one year of service will get $75, and full-time employees will receive a Christmas bonus of $100 per year of employment, based on full years of service as of December 31, with a maximum bonus amount of $1,000.

In bringing the proposal to Town Council, Town Manager Gerald Spates said, “In our budget this year we put the Christmas bonuses in the budget and I'd like to revise those Christmas bonuses a little bit.

“What we did last time,” Spates reminded council members, “was go straight across the board with the bonuses but this year I'd like to base it on years of service.

We budgeted $125,000 for bonuses and we've cut it down to $99,200. So each employee that's been here a year gets $100. The max would be $1,000 if you've been here over ten years.”

The plan, discussed during a recent Town Council work session, was immediately embraced.

“I think the idea's good,” said council member Dr. Edward I. Gordon, alluding to a similar proposal made in the past by fellow council member Donald L. Hunter. “We're saving money too.”

Hunter said he believes the plan provides “an incentive” for employees to perform well.

Noting the number of employees who have sustained their employment with the Town, Spates said, “It's interesting when you look at it. We have 75 full-time employees who've been here over ten years.”

Pay Grades And Scales

During last week's November work session, Town Council also moved toward adopting new pay grades and scales.

Reporting on the issue's presentation to the personnel committee, Spates told council members that “one of the things pointed out was we have not adjusted that in the past for pay increases, adjustment to the cost of living.”

The Town revised its employee classification grades and pay scale four years ago, but since 2008 the pay scale has not been adjusted to include approved cost of living increases.

The proposed plan has been adjusted to include the cost of living increases and a four percent step plan.

In doing the adjustment, the personnel committee noted, “some employees fall below the starting salary of the pay grade. The town manager is recommending salary adjustments for those employees that fall below the beginning salary of their pay grade.”

The personnel committee has reviewed the pay grades and salaries ranges and, it reports, “is recommending that Town Council follow the recommendation of the Town Manager and approve the proposed pay scale and step plan.”

Members of the committee support adjusting the salaries of those employees that are below the proposed entry level for their position and incorporating a step system for employee merit increases.

Budget deliberations were also raised.

In discussing the “proposed increase to salaries, the committee spoke strongly about establishing a Budget Committee to begin the process of preparing for the upcoming budget,” the committee's report states.

Town Council will move forward with an active budget committee in January to begin formulating a proposed 2013-14 Town budget.