SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve Juneteenth as a city recognized holiday. (consent)
Body
SUMMARY:
Juneteenth is a celebration honoring the end of slavery in the United States, the holiday represents the true emancipation of freedom that honors the American value of freedom for all.
On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth was officially made a federal holiday. The City of Clearwater has had Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a core value for decades and staff will continue to make significant and intentional progress toward a more inclusive and equitable workforce for all employees. As such, staff is recommending beginning in June 2022, the City of Clearwater formally acknowledge Juneteenth as an official annual City of Clearwater holiday. Staff invites the community at large to embrace it alongside all of us.
The City of Clearwater currently provides for 10 paid holidays and three floating holidays for CWA and SAMP employees, (FOP and IAFF union employees receive 9 paid holidays and four floating holidays). The City’s comparable municipalities are all currently in discussion regarding adding Juneteenth as a holiday, with one, the City of St. Petersburg having approved it recently. Any change to the holiday schedule will need to be negotiated with each of the bargaining units.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
Staff has reviewed the cost of providing a paid holiday to all permanent employees based on current salaries and typical holiday hours worked.
The Juneteenth holiday is expected to add approximately $154,000 in compensation and $22,000 in related benefits, for a total of $176,000. Of this amount, approximately $133,000 would be paid from the general fund.
Within the typical salary and benefit costs, approximately $318,000 is expected to be paid as holiday leave in lieu of hours worked.
Future budgets will include the cost of the Juneteenth holiday.