Christmas came early for Powder Springs employees after the City Council agreed to give staff — and itself — holiday bonuses this week.
Powder Springs has 88 employees and each will receive a bonus based on how long they have been employed with the city after Monday’s 5-0 vote, according to Mayor Pat Vaughn.
Employees who have been working for the city for a year or more will receive $500, those who have been working for six months to a year will receive $150 and employees who have been with the city for less than six months will receive $50.
Additionally, the vote provides the mayor and City Council members a bonus of $150, but Vaughn said they usually don’t keep it.
“Normally, what the council does is they give it back in some way,” she said. “Last year, several of us adopted a needy family.” Another year, she said, they bought gifts and gave them out as door prizes at the city’s employee Christmas luncheon.
This year’s luncheon is scheduled for Dec. 16.
Kennesaw, Smyrna and Austell are also offering employees a Christmas bonus this year. Marietta and Acworth are not providing holiday bonuses to their employees this year, but Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood said the board approved a performance-based raise of up to 2 percent for employees in the fiscal 2015 budget, which began July 1.
Cobb County also gave employees a merit-based raise of up to 3 percent in its fiscal 2015 budget, which began Oct. 1, though it will not offer a holiday bonus, according to Robert Quigley, county spokesperson.
Additionally, the Marietta City Council included in its budget a 3 percent raise for city employees, which will take effect in January.
Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews said the city will be providing time-based bonuses to its 196 employees.
“The range was basically from $100 to $200 to each employee depending on how long they’ve been here,” he said, adding the bonuses were approved in the city’s fiscal 2015 budget, which began Oct. 1.
Mathews said Kennesaw employees who have been working for the city for a year or more will receive $200, those who have been working between six months and a year will receive $150 and employees who have been with the city for less than six months will receive $100. The mayor and City Council members will not be receiving bonuses.
Terri Graham, city clerk for Smyrna, said the city’s 380 full-time employees will receive a $100 gift card while the city’s 40 part-time employees will receive a $50 gift card. She said the money comes out of the operating budget in the Smyrna’s general fund.
Additionally, the Smyrna City Council this week voted 6-0, with Councilman Ron Fennel absent, to approve giving merit-based raises to city employees between 1.5 and 3.5 percent beginning Jan. 5.
Austell Mayor Joe Jerkins said 89 employees have been with the city for more than six months and will receive a $350 bonus, while 11 employees have been with the city for less than six months and will receive $175. The mayor and the City Council members will not be receiving bonuses.
Austell Fire Chief Tim Williams said the city also has a Christmas party every year which is included in the overall bonus package.
“We have a meal catered, and we also have a gift program where we go out and buy random gifts and we have a raffle the day of the party,” Williams said.
The total package, which he said includes the party and the bonuses, is $37,209 and comes out of the general fund.
