MODOT Requests Higher Budget To Keep Employees

The state agencies are appealing to lawmakers for more money as they come up with their new budgets.

MODOT Director Patrick McKenna says the cost just to recruit new employees is so high that it would be more cost effective to just raise their pay.

Not only to get new employees but keep the ones they have, slowing down worker turnover.

McKenna told budget committee member Deb Lavender that last year the cost of recruitment was just under $56-million-dollars.

Lavender questioned him over the figure.

But McKenna said that in fiscal 2022 that figure included the cost to recruit, train, and have employees to compensate for the high turnover in employees.

Governor Mike Parson is proposing an 8-point-7-percent across the board pay increase for all state workers.

If lawmakers approve, that would take effect sometime in March.