Troy Leavitt, Minot
As some people may know, the city was to vote on raising the minimum wage for the city employees, namely the police department. After looking at the hiring announcement, which can be found on the Minot city website, the wage increase is just $1.30 an hour. I'm hoping I'm wrong about this but that just doesn't seem like a lot to me. Now, consider that the city is still requiring officers to contribute 14.74 percent of the gross pay to the city's pension fund. That's $509 per month before tax. Plus a mandatory $25 membership fee to add insult to injury. On top of all this, if you need family insurance, it will cost you about $630-$650 per month. Before taxes. So, what are you left with? A brand new officer that's told he's going to make $19.30 an hour starting out... but really only makes $13.30 an hour. Oh, did I mention that the officers are also required to purchase their own $450 firearm? I know I bring up the police department, but this is any city department. The firefighter that saves your house from burning, the 911 dispatcher who answers the call when your loved one needs help, and that police officer who will search your house for you if the front door was open, just to make sure that possibly armed burglar isn't still there. Please take a moment to say thank you to one of these fine people and that you appreciate the work they do and the sacrifices they make. Just for one day, make them feel appreciated.