By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                After losing six employees in the past six months, often for lack of pay and benefits, Bronson Town Council members Monday voted unanimously to offer all new hires $15 an hour with full-time work status, full benefits including health insurance, and retirement, as soon as they go to work.

            The increased pay and benefits also apply to those employees already working for the town. The council also voted to use a 45-day probationary period to review the work of the new employees. As with any probationary period for any employer, the town can let them go without giving a reason.

            Mayor Beatrice Roberts was absent from the meeting. Councilman Jason Hunt, the vice mayor who chaired the meeting, said Roberts wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t attend.

            Councilman Aaron Edmondson made the motion to give new hires considerably more benefits than in the past and his motion was seconded by Councilman Tyler Voorhees, but Councilman Robert Partin said he didn’t think the town had any choice but to be more competitive with wages and benefits.

            “It’s the only way we’re going to be competitive in this market,” Partin said.

            Currently, the lowest-paid workers, most of them maintenance staff, are considered part-time and earn $13 an hour with no insurance or retirement benefits. Many of the recent hires who left the town found jobs with full-time work, higher pay, and better benefits.

            The town council was responding in part to the job market. The market has plenty of job openings, but council members are also aware that the minimum wage will rise to $15 by 2026.

            Town Manager Susan Beaudet recommended the changes to pay and benefits to get ahead of the curve on the minimum wage and to ensure that good employees don’t wander off to get other jobs soon after being hired. She said she and Public Works Director Curtis Stacy were in an endless series of job interviews as employees left soon after being hired for maintenance duties.

Contracting for Animal Control

            Bronson has no one trained or certified to handle animal control cases and it has no facilities to house animals. It creates problems for public works when called upon to capture a dog or a cat.

            Edmondson won support for his motion to contact Levy County Commission staff to find out if Levy County Animal Services would be willing to contract with the town to provide services under a contract.

            Edmondson said the town would have to invest quite a bit of money to train an animal control specialist and build a facility to house animals before they could be transferred to Levy County Animal Services.

            He said the county may turn down the town.

            “All you can do is try,” Edmondson said.

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Town of Bronson Regular Meeting August 2, 2021; Posted August 3, 2021