Mayor Ashton Mckenzie and the Punta Gorda Town Council has unanimously approved a 15 percent salary increase for all employees of the Sanitation Department.
The council’s official press release reads: “In a recent meeting, members of the Punta Gorda Town Council unanimously approved a 15 percent increase for the workers of the Sanitation Department. For years the Sanitation workers have been the least paid members of staff and are amongst the hardest workers. This increase is scheduled to take place effective Friday May 5th 2018. To members of our sanitation unit, we salute you on a job well done.”
The council has been able to afford this raise by making strategic adjustments in operations. In less than two months in office, Mayor Mckenzie’s administration has managed to reduce the council’s monthly operating expenditure by over $28,000. A variety of cost saving mechanisms have been instituted. Mayor Mckenzie promises that his team “we will be executing capital projects that are in line with the needs of the town on a quarterly basis.”