Sep. 13--LAKELAND -- Some Lakeland Electric workers, even a group making more than $100,000, may be underpaid.

That's what utility General Manager Jim Stanfield says could be the case, and he is attempting to determine whether Lakeland Electric's white-collar workers are underpaid when compared with other Central Florida utilities.

There are 74 job-title categories being scrutinized in a market salary study and 155 people in those job classifications.

Nobody will be given automatic raises when the study is finished, Stanfield said.

If any raises are given as a result of the study, he said, "it will be on a case-by-case basis, as we've always done."

Of those 74 kinds of jobs, 16 are already considered "at risk." That means the utility has nobody trained as a backup for the job, it's hard to recruit for that job, it is thought that the current salary is less than market value or there's a combination of those factors.

The market salary study will help determine whether the positions Lakeland Electric considers "at risk" actually are, Stanfield said.

The salary range for the positions considered at-risk is from $73,000 to $131,000. Three of the highest-paid employees in that category are Harianto Suryo, manager of system protection, and Mace Hunter, manager of system planning, both earning $131,352; and Richard Smith, manager of electric system control, who earns $119,142.

Overall, the utility has 610 workers. The market salary study has caused hard feelings among nonutility city workers, none of whom is expected to get a raise in the next three years. Blue-collar workers represented by the Utility Workers Union of America are also frustrated because they've been negotiating a contract with the city for two years.

On Aug. 17, city commissioners voted 6-1 to authorize spending $40,000 for the salary study and hired Towers Perrin, a Connecticut-based consulting company, to do it. The company's closest office is in Tampa.

Commissioner Justin Troller was the lone "no" vote.

"It's bad timing," Troller said Friday. "People are losing their jobs. Some can't afford their homes. It's a waste of money that doesn't send a good message."

There's no money for raises, and by the time the economy improves, the study will be obsolete, Troller said.

Commissioner Howard Wiggs said it is prudent to do the study since many Lakeland Electric workers on the verge of retirement.

"I don't know that we'll implement anything, but it's crucial to know where we stand," he said. The study should be finished in October.

While the jobs considered at risk have what appear to be substantial salaries, Stanfield and City Manager Doug Thomas said many electric utility jobs are at a premium because of low supply and high demand in the job market. They said they don't want to lose trained, competent workers to other utilities.

Troller said he couldn't understand the supply and demand argument because TECO Energy recently announced it way laying off 225 workers, mostly managers and supervisors. The bulk of TECO's business is electricity. The company also sells natural gas.

Stanfield said he has heard the rumors there will be widespread raises at Lakeland Electric and that the utility has set aside money for the raises. He said both are untrue.

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