City of Friendswood operates with lowest staffing ratio in Houston metro area
Published: Thu, 07/14/22
City of Friendswood operates with lowest staffing ratio in Houston metro area
By Renee Farmer |
Updated
Friendswood boasts a "lean and mean" staffing ratio, city officials say. (Community Impact Newspaper staff)
Friendswood boasts the lowest staffing ratio of all cities in the Houston metro area, a "lean and mean" ratio supported by yearly merit increases, city officials said.The city of Friendswood employs 57 people per 10,000 residents, a total of 242 employees, compared to Galveston’s 171 city employees per 10,000 residents. Friendswood City Council noted the statistic during discussion of its preliminary fiscal year 2022-23 proposed budget at its July 11 meeting.
A Flourish chart
City of Friendswood operates with lowest staffing ratio in Houston metro area | Community Impact
“Friendswood is as lean and mean as you can be when it comes to staffing. We have the lowest staffing ratio out of any Houston metro-area city, and we’re proud of that,” City Manager Morad Kabiri said.
Some of the neighboring cities highlighted for comparison are destination cities, Council Member John Scott noted, with more employees needed to accommodate tourism.
Amid increasing personnel costs, the city has managed to keep its staffing low, Administrative Services Director Katina Hampton said. Hampton noted during the meeting the rising living expenses for the city’s “most valuable resource,” with an average $4,700 increase for a family of three.
Friendswood does not offer a cost-of-living adjustment to its employees. Rather, employees receive merit increases after an evaluation of their performance, according to Kabiri.
Providing adequate merit increases for employees based on their performance is the only way for the city to maintain its slim staffing ratio, Kabiri said.
The city has $630,000 budgeted in its preliminary FY 2022-23 financial plan for city employee merit increases, Hampton said. Total personnel costs are estimated at $23.3 million, an increase of $1 million from FY 2021-22.
“We are doing all that we can with the least number of people possible, and I think the current services are well-maintained,” Hampton said.
By Renee Farmer
Reporter, South Houston Metro
Renee joined Community Impact Newspaper as a reporter in June 2022 after graduating with a degree in journalism from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Renee covers education, local government and transportation in the South Houston metro area. Prior to CI, Renee served as a feature reporter and editor for her college newspaper, the Champion.