Mayor Dayton King is looking for savings wherever he can find it, which is why he is reviving plans to implement a biweekly payroll.
Moving from weekly to biweekly paychecks would save as much as $4,000 a year, King said, a relatively small sum but one which in the current economic climate cannot be overlooked.
Most of the savings will arise from reducing the workload of four city staffers who each spend at least an hour per week on payroll tasks, King said.
The change to biweekly, which takes effect the first week in October, will also increase staff efficiency at City Hall, he said.
Police spokesman Capt. James Lorenzoni said Monday the police union was the first in the city to agree to biweekly payroll, back in 2004.
Later that same year, the Gloversville Firefighters Association also agreed to the payroll measure. Stephen Kemmer Jr., president of the CSEA unit representing public works and City Hall staffers, said his membership has also agreed to biweekly pay.
King said he issued the directive late last week to give staff six months to prepare for new pay timetable.
The idea of biweekly payroll was broached and recommended in a “SMART Review” evaluation conducted in 2004 by the state Comptroller’s Office.
Biweekly payroll was estimated to save as much as $10,000 annually in 2004, but King said the greater savings was possible back then because the city contracted for payroll services.
King said he has discovered that biweekly payroll is one of a number of SMART Review recommendations provided to the city in 2004 but never implemented. He said he is evaluating a number of other ideas to save money, including installing drop ceilings at City Hall, which has a cathedral ceiling the length of the building.
When City Hall was built 40 years ago, King said, “the city budget was fat and energy costs were low so people didn’t worry about it.” Later this year, he also noted, the city will use its new stimulus energy grant to install solar panels on City Hall and at the Fire Department.
There may also be savings and efficiencies to be gained with technology upgrades, King said, although that project may necessitate some investment.
Categories: Schenectady County
