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Page 2 of 4 <br /> <br />Wages and Benefits <br />The 2024 preliminary budget is currently being prepared assuming a 3.0% wage adjustment for all <br />staff. Below is a table showing the recent history of approved COLA’s. <br /> <br />Year Non Union IUOE Union <br />2023 3.00% 3.00% <br />2022 3.00% 3.00% + addition of Fleet Lead <br />2021 2.00% 3.00% <br />2020 3.00% Market adjustment; minimum increase was 5.80% <br />2019 2.50% 2.50% <br />2018 2.10% 2.25% <br /> <br />There is a 10.0% increase assumed for health, a 4.0% increase for dental and a 0.0% increase for <br />life insurance premiums. The number of positions included in the budget is increasing as the <br />Communications Coordinator position was updated from part time to full time and there are <br />changes to some of the wage allocations. <br /> <br />Public Safety <br />2024 budget information was received from Ramsey County and Lake Johanna Fire Department <br />for public safety. <br /> <br />POLICE <br />The police contract is expected to rise by 11.7%, or $169,550 for 2024. Information provided by <br />Ramsey County on this increase is as follows: <br /> <br />The major cost drivers include: <br />• Withdrawal by City of Falcon Heights from county contract. <br />• Labor contracts and increased costs related to employee health insurance. <br />• Increased costs related to county fees for insurance and administrative overhead/indirect <br />costs. <br /> <br />DISPATCH <br />Dispatch costs will be increasing by 2.4%, or $1,650. An error was discovered in 2020 in the way <br />report queries undercounted medical calls in previous years for cities served by Allina. This meant <br />an increase in call counts and an increase in cost sharing for the years 2021 - 2023. The impact of <br />this shift occurred over a three-year period (2021-2023) as the use of a three-year rolling average <br />of call counts smooths out variability in annual call fluctuations. <br /> <br />FIRE <br />The fire operating costs are expected to rise by 21.6%, or $162,330 for 2024. This is mainly due <br />to the addition of 6 full time captains, a significant wage increase for the two deputy chiefs, an <br />increase in supplies related to the 6 new positions and an increase in repairs and maintenance, all <br />of which Arden Hills’ cost share portion is 24.4%. <br /> <br />The $621,270 tax levy increase being proposed for the General Fund is $287,740 more than the <br />increase needed to cover police and fire services ($333,530). <br /> <br /> <br />