CHARLESTON ,W.Va. — Out of just over 700 employees in the city of Charleston, Mayor Amy Goodwin estimated fewer than 100 earn below $15 an hour. Goodwin set as a goal for her second term to make the $15 an hour mark the minimum for any city worker.
“Do I think the highest paid members of our city government should get paid more? Nope, sure don’t. But for the guys and gals working on the back of the trucks and working out in the sleet and snow and the cold, do I think we should look at their salary, you bet I do,” she said in a conversation on 580-Live on WCHS Radio Monday.
The Mayor included the $15 a hour minimum wage in her State of the City address earlier this month to city council. Although reaching the mark is a goal over the next four years, Goodwin said she understands it’s a process and can’t just be done in a vacuum.
“We don’t put something into play that isn’t sustainable. We’re very cognizant of that and we have to figure out how we’re going to pay for this,” she said.
At this point the Mayor did not have any ideas, but said it would be explored in their administration working with city council in the coming years and budgets.
“It’s going to take time, that’s why I said over the next four years we’re going to look at increasing this and what are the benefits and how can we sustain moving forward,” she said.
She said one key components will be to address how much employees of like sized cities across the country and region are paid in similar positions and try too make the pay comparable. The pay improvement is expected to also help with recruitment and retention of future employees.