Letter to the Editor: MoDOT supports state employee pay hike

I am writing in support of a 4 percent across-the-board pay raise for state employees. Missouri’s dedicated and hard-working public servants have gone too long without a significant pay increase.

While it is important for state agencies to operate as efficiently as possible and be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, it is equally important to attract and retain an experienced work force to carry out state operations.

Without knowledgeable employees, efficiency and effectiveness will suffer, thereby increasing the cost of government to Missouri taxpayers.

A pay increase is especially critical because we continue to ask our employees to do more.

As the director of the 6,350 employees who work for the Missouri Department of Transportation, I know firsthand how much we’re asking of our staff. MoDOT employees have delivered on the promises made to Missourians for smoother and safer roads, and they’re doing it sooner than promised.

This year, we have again challenged them to deliver a record amount of highway work in an incredibly short of amount of time.

I have no doubt they’ll meet this challenge, because I’ve found they want nothing more than to delight Missouri taxpayers with smooth, safe roads.

If we don’t start adequately compensating state workers, we’ll lose them to employers who will. I know, because it is happening at MoDOT. We’re seeing more people turn down our employment offers and an increase in turnover in critical jobs.

It’s important that we stop these trends.

We don’t want Missouri government to be the employer of last resort.

We have a lot of things to be proud of in Missouri, but ranking last in pay for state government employees is not one of them. I urge Missouri legislators and the governor to enact a pay increase for all state employees. By doing so, we will be investing in a brighter future for Missouri.

Sincerely,

Pete K. Rahn

Director, Missouri Department of Transportation