City denies claims of pay hikes for officials

THE letter “Proposed increases beyond an outrage” (April 15, Cape Argus) refers.

The City refutes the notion that salary hikes are being considered for senior staff members during Covid19. The information the Weekend Argus relied on for its story, which the letter writer refers to, is based on information sourced weeks ago from the City and is based on a draft budget formed before the Covid-19 disaster.

It does not take into account the fact that it is not only relying on the information of a draft budget that is being dramatically reprioritised in light of Covid-19, but also the fact that the positions concerned were the subject of appointments/changes during the course of 2019 and do not reflect a salary increase in 2020. Claims to the contrary are false.

The enquiry on which that article is based was sent to the City almost two weeks previously. Much has happened in the past two weeks, including an entire reprioritisation of the City’s budget in an effort to provide assistance to residents and ratepayers and to pay for the enormous additional expenditure necessary to tackle the Covid-19 crisis, including helping the most vulnerable and enhancing the City’s health-care system.

In fact, the City is considering the salary package of all senior staff members, general salary obligations and office-holders given the dramatic realities of Covid-19. Indeed, no salary determinations have been made for any staff member in the City. Any such considerations would require consultation and further announcements on this will be made in due course.