Opinion — Crockett’s Employees Are Worth the Investment

By Lee Standley

Former Crockett City Administrator

CROCKETT — The recent discussions surrounding the City of Crockett’s budget, employee cost-of-living adjustments and the swimming pool have weighed heavily on me. Having served as the city administrator, I have the unique perspective of both an insider who understands the challenges of building a municipal budget and an outsider who now watches those challenges unfold.

The City of Crockett operates with a very limited tax base. Both property tax and sales tax revenues are constrained, while much of the city’s infrastructure has been neglected for decades. There are significant needs throughout the community, and I understand firsthand how difficult it is to make the numbers work. Every budget requires difficult decisions because there simply isn’t enough money to fund every priority.

Fortunately, Crockett is experiencing growth. New businesses and new jobs are beginning to strengthen the local economy, and that growth should help the city’s financial future. But until that growth translates into additional revenue, the budget will continue to require careful balancing.

One thing I know with absolute certainty is this: The city’s greatest asset is its employees.

I have said that publicly many times, and I still believe it today. The employees of the City of Crockett are among the most dedicated, professional and experienced public servants I have worked with. Many of them choose to stay because Crockett is their home. They care deeply about the community and genuinely want to see it succeed.

What many citizens may not realize is that they are receiving exceptional service at a remarkable value. If you added together the years of experience, certifications, licenses and real-world expertise possessed by the city’s employees, you would be hard-pressed to find another community of Crockett’s size with that level of talent. Quite simply, the citizens receive a “hometown discount.”

But that hometown discount has its limits.

I would ask every citizen to consider one question: Who do you want to respond when you dial 911? Do you want an experienced police officer or firefighter who knows the community, has years of training and has proven themselves under pressure? Or do you want a revolving door of new employees because experienced personnel found they could support their families better just a few miles down the road? Public safety is one area where experience truly matters, and retaining that experience should be viewed as an investment in the safety and well-being of every citizen.

These employees have families to support, mortgages to pay and the same rising cost of living that affects every household. Every day we hear about inflation, housing costs, insurance premiums and the increasing cost of groceries. Asking already underpaid employees to continue falling further behind is not a sustainable solution.

Every governmental body is ultimately governed by its elected officials, and they carry the responsibility of making difficult financial decisions. However, they also hire professional staff to manage the daily operations of the city, respond to emergencies, solve problems and serve the public. Those professionals should be trusted to provide sound recommendations based on experience and the realities they face every day.

Since leaving Crockett, I have been fortunate to work for an organization with a much stronger tax base. Yet even there, budgets remain challenging. Growth creates new demands, and every dollar must still be justified. One principle, however, has remained constant: Employee recruitment, retention and training are considered investments, not expenses.

Replacing experienced employees is far more expensive than retaining them. Recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training and developing new employees cost significantly more than keeping qualified people whose knowledge and commitment already benefit the organization.

The real challenge facing local governments today isn’t competing with salaries across the state. It’s competing with the community 10 or 15 miles down the road. Good employees have options, and those options become more attractive every year.

My hope is that the citizens of Crockett recognize the tremendous value of the people who serve them every day. Those employees have been willing to give the community a hometown discount for years because they love where they live.

Just remember that even hometown discounts have an expiration date.

Be careful what you ask for because once experienced employees leave, replacing them is rarely easy, and it is almost always more expensive than keeping them.