All City Of Murrieta Employees Offered $1,000 To $500 In Retention Pay

MURRIETA, CA — Not everyone who works for the city of Murrieta feels that a one-time, pandemic-related payout of up to $1,000 for each employee is adequate given all that's happened over the last two years.

The payout — which the city classifies as "retention pay" — is part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funding meant to help local jurisdictions contend with COVID-19.

In total, the city received approximately $16 million in ARPA dollars, from which the city allocated $372,500 for the retention pay. The total was derived from 350 full-time employees receiving $1,000 each, and 45 part-time employees receiving $500 each, according to city spokesperson Dominique Samario.

For employees who opt to take the payment, they must agree to remain with the city for one year. If their employment ends before the 12-month period is up, they forfeit a pro-rated portion of the pay.

The retention pay is designed to incentivize all current employees — police, fire, planning department, public works, administrators, etc. — to stay on with the city. The bonus is also seen by some as acknowledgment for working amid COVID-19 conditions: Even though City Hall was closed to the public through portions of the pandemic, city employees continued to work, many in person.

City employee Roderick Salazar addressed the Murrieta City Council during its regularly scheduled April 5 meeting. He told the council he was "disappointed" in the payout amount and was hopeful the figure would go higher, citing workers' commitment to keeping the city's gears in motion despite the challenges and health concerns posed by COVID-19.

"We all had a job to do," said Salazar, who works in the city's planning department and is president of the Murrieta General Employees Association, which advocates on behalf of its membership. According to Samario, 116 city employees are MGEA members.

City Council members did not publicly respond to Salazar's comments because the ARPA funding and retention pay were not on the April 5 meeting agenda.

Earlier this year, the city held a workshop to discuss how to allocate the ARPA funding. The federal government restricts how and when the money can be spent, but, generally, it can be used to support public health expenditures; address the negative economic impacts caused by the pandemic; replace lost public sector revenue; provide premium pay for essential workers; and invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.

As part of the city of Murrieta workshop, figures were discussed for one-time employee bonuses. A $2,500 payout was considered, Salazar reminded the council members. Yet during a later closed-session City Council meeting, it was decided the retention pay would be $1,000 for full-timers and $500 for part-timers.

It's unclear how many employees were happy to get the retention bonus and how many were disappointed in the amount. Murrieta is not alone in offering the pay. Cities and counties across the nation have either enacted a similar program, although amounts differ, or have considered the issue.