The Green Bay Personnel Committee on Sept. 9 approved a proposed ordinance that sets a new starting salary for the mayor’s next term and applies cost‑of‑living adjustments to the beginning of the subsequent term, a change staff said complies with legal guidance that prevents altering an elected official’s pay during a current term.

The ordinance adopts the consultant‑recommended starting point for the mayor’s next term and provides that COLA increases approved for city employees will be applied to the mayor’s salary at the first year of the following mayoral term. Staff told the committee that city legal counsel advised against automatic or scheduled increases that take effect during a sitting term.

Why it matters: the committee’s action determines how future mayoral salaries will be adjusted and clarifies a process intended to avoid mid‑term raises while maintaining periodic increases tied to employee COLA decisions.

Committee members recalled a previous approach that used fixed step increases — a flat dollar amount approved each year — and contrasted that with the proposed approach, which applies cumulative employee COLA increases to the first year of the next term. One committee member asked whether the ordinance could be amended to require an automatic agenda item in the Personnel Committee in the third year of each term so that alderpersons would have a formal opportunity to review mayoral compensation; staff said an amendment could add a scheduled review if the committee prefers.

Legal constraint and process: a city staff member summarized advice from the city attorney that the city cannot change an elected official’s pay during a current term in a manner that amounts to an increase during that term. The ordinance as presented sets the starting salary for the next term and ties future adjustments to the employee COLA process so that those adjustments affect the beginning of the following term only.

The committee approved the ordinance by voice vote after discussion. Alder Grant moved to approve and Alder Hinkfest seconded; the chair called the vote “aye” and the motion carried.

Context: committee members asked staff about automating a scheduled Personnel Committee review for mayor compensation near the end of a term (for example, year three) so that alderpersons would be prompted to reconsider the amount if warranted. Staff said the committee could add language by amendment to require an annual or periodic review on the committee agenda.

Next steps: the ordinance proceeds per the normal legislative process for final adoption and any administrative steps needed to implement the changed timing of mayoral COLA adjustments.