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Council adopts 2% annual increase for governing body pay, effective Jan. 1
Summary
The council adopted a resolution to adjust elected officials' compensation by 2% annually, retroactive to Jan. 1; councilmembers discussed periodic review and agreed budget sessions are an appropriate forum to revisit compensation levels.
The Gardner City Council on Feb. 1 adopted a resolution that sets annual 2% adjustments to governing body compensation, retroactive to Jan. 1 of the current year.
Staff explained the measure aligns council pay adjustments with the city's practice of annual increases for employees at top-of-range positions. The proposed resolution applies an annual 2% adjustment each Jan. 1; the council adopted Resolution 02/1965 after brief discussion about whether to schedule periodic formal reviews during budget sessions.
Why it matters: The change adjusts compensation for elected officials on an ongoing basis and was presented as consistent with the salary range adjustments used for other city employees. Several councilmembers suggested budget sessions as the regular point to reconsider compensation, rather than adding an automatic review cycle to the ordinance.
Council action: The council voted to adopt Resolution 02/1965 establishing the compensation change; roll-call votes were recorded in the meeting minutes.
Next steps: Staff will implement the pay adjustment retroactive to Jan. 1 and note the item in future budget sessions for review if the governing body chooses to revisit the policy.
