Paid family leave for non-union city employees is one step closer to fruition after clearing a preliminary hurdle in City Council Tuesday night.
Mayor Tom Henry made the proposal in June, but it was held by Council after introduction due to the body having little input on the proposal despite being a budgetary decision. Some Council members questioned how necessary city employees who used the leave time could actually be.
With a few months to refine the proposal before approving the 2019 city budget, Fort Wayne director of intergovernmental affairs Stephanie Crandall revealed the implementation would cost the city $66,000 in next year’s budget, in line with early estimates of “no more than $100,000.”
The measure passed on an 8-1 vote; 4th District councilman Jason Arp was the lone dissenting vote, suggesting instead the body look into maternal leave. At-large councilman John Crawford noted that maternal leave policies in other cities have led to employers hiring fewer women.
Crandall also noted that mothers aren’t the only ones involved in the discussion.
“It’s actually been the men and future fathers who keep coming to us and asking us what the status of this proposal is.”
The vote paves the way for full passage next week, and implementation in the 2019 budget.
