By Associated Press
Oklahoma City, OK – 130 executive state agency employees get raises
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Despite the state's ongoing budget crunch, 130 employees at executive agencies have received raises between October 2009 and October 2010.
The Oklahoman analyzed state payroll records and determined that almost one-third of those raises came inside agencies that have elected heads who will be leaving office next month. The raises range from 3 percent to more than 40 percent.
Sterling Zearley, the executive director of the Oklahoma Public Employees Association, says it's not a good time for state agencies to award such raises because additional furloughs or layoffs of state employees might be necessary in 2011.
Officials with the agencies giving raises say some were due to promotions and others because their agencies were below the number of employees authorized by the Legislature. They say they're addressing pay parity issues.
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Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com