At the St. Louis County Council meeting on Tuesday, some councilmembers along with a few public speakers opposed the county executive’s new plan to give corrections medicine employees a three percent raise.
Communication from County Executive Steve Stenger recommends that the sum of $150,000 be appropriated to support a program for a 3 percent raise for employees assigned to and working in the Corrections Medicine Program of the Division of Health Services in the Department of Public Health.
The money for the increased wages would come from the county’s health fund.
Councilwoman Hazel Erby at the meeting stated that she thought the amount was an ‘insult’ and the money for the raises shouldn’t come from the health fund.
Erby also stated that she intends to propose legislation that would give the corrections medicine employees a nine percent raise from the leftover Proposition P funds.
This comes after weeks of public comment from various St. Louis County corrections medicine employees stating that they believe they were considered public safety employees that were deserving of Proposition P funds.
According to Stenger, the estimated balance for the health fund at the end of 2017 was approximately $12.7 million.