Williston city employee housing supplement to be cut

WILLISTON — City officials announced this week that a supplemental income paid to city employees will soon be eliminated. The program, intended to retain workers by helping with high costs of living, has resulted in yearly expenditures of more than $1.9 million for the city.

As oil industry activity peaked in the Bakken area, rent here skyrocketed, even rivaling that of New York and San Francisco. As a result, many non-oilfield workers found it difficult to afford the cost of living in Williston.

In order to retain city employees by offsetting the sharp rise in the cost of living and tight housing market, additional compensation was budgeted beginning in 2011.

“We couldn’t attract employees, so we wanted rent as something we can control,” said Mayor Howard Klug. “One of the reasons that housing incentives are going away is because of the options.”

Read more: http://www.willistonherald.com/city-employee-housing-supplement-to-be-cut/article_cae4f0d6-4a2e-11e6-b90f-f7e8ba542f39.html

[font color=330099]Another sign that the oil boom has ended.[/font]