Final vote on Seneca’s employee-friendly budgets

City of Seneca will enter its new year July 1st, with the various spending plans in place.  A change-of-mind by Mayor Pro-tem O’Kelley was enough for the budgets to sail through on a second and final reading last night, with the city council chambers full of city employees.  Those employees are direct beneficiaries as included on the expenditure side are five percent pay raises and an increase to a minimum $15 dollar an hour starting pay for the lowest-paid worker. Seneca’s workers toiled through the pandemic and last year’s EF-3 tornado added duties to their work.  In all, Seneca will require in excess of $50 million to run the new year of city government.  There is no property tax increase projected, but there are rate increases for various services, including the charges for city utilities. City administrator Scott Moulder received accolades for his work in arranging the budgets, including the gratitude of the long-time utilities superintendent.  Bob Faires is grateful for the addition of 12 labor-type employees and, to the mayor and council, he said, “You’ve put substance behind your words.”  The city’s Gignilliat Community Center is also a beneficiary in the new budgets.  It will receive new carpeting, new restrooms, and a new roof. Moulder also announced that Gignilliat will become the repository for the city’s archives and history holdings.  Among other new employees will be a beautification employee and a consultant to develop a new, 10-year comprehensive plan.