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Dade Commission Axes Raise For Non-Union County Workers

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - If you're a union employee of Miami-Dade County, you did not get a 3% pay increase pulled out of your pay check Monday. If you're not in a union, look for less in the check than you'd expected July 1st, courtesy of the Miami-Dade Commission.

Saying bad times are ahead for county government, commissioners voted unanimously to eliminate a 3 percent pay hike that non-union county workers were supposed to get starting July 1.

The raise would not have had a huge effect on county spending, since most employees are unionized and their raises are protected by contract. Commissioners were told the elimination would save $7 a year.

In debating the move at Tuesday's commission meeting, commissioners said this was just the beginning. They said even deeper cuts will be needed this fall, when the new budget must be drawn with even less tax revenue than there was this year.

Commissioners repeated the concern that taxpayers won't accept a tax hike, a position made abundantly clear after voters overwhelmingly tossed out Mayor Carlos Alvarez, who had supported a tax-increase budget that gave employees the increase.

"This year I will not be voting to raise any taxes," said commission vice-chair Audrey Edmonson, "and I am not ashamed to say it."

Commissioners said cuts will be the only way to close the budget deficit, and most thought it would be irresponsible to give employees an increase now when they would most likely have to cut in a few months.

The county has a proximately 27 thousand employees, but fewer than 10 percent are non-union.

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