Kent leaders defend seasonal worker wages after residents criticize low-paid parks and rec job

Residents of the City of Kent have expressed concern about the pay range of a recent job posting by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The job, a seasonal parks maintenance position, offered a wage of between $9.69 and $11.78 an hour.  

Although the position has since been filled by a returning staffer, the posting sparked criticism from residents on Facebook, who argued the compensation is unacceptable given the current cost of living and a nationwide push for fair wages. The department deleted comments on the post and disabled the ability to comment, which they later said was because the position had been filled.