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Council hears clarification: proposed COLA applies to nonunion staff; merit pay separate
Summary
At a council meeting a resident asked whether proposed COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) and merit-pay discussions applied to union employees. City staff and councilors clarified the COLA discussion pertains to nonunion employees, unions are governed by contract, and the COLA recommendation for the proposed budget is separate from merit-pay plans.
A resident asked whether the city’s discussion of a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) versus merit pay applied to union employees as well as nonunion staff; councilors and staff clarified the distinction.
Jared Wilbur, a resident, asked whether the COLA-versus-merit conversation from prior finance meetings applied to union employees. A staff member replied: “It’s the nonunion employees.” Council participants and staff said union employees remain governed by their contracts.
Councilors and staff discussed how the COLA is proposed as a baseline across-the-board adjustment and a separate merit pool would allow differentiated increases for individual performance. Participants referenced prior practice: “I think last year I think it was a 3% and then this year I think it was recommended at a 2.5% COLA,” one speaker said, referencing past and proposed figures discussed in the budget process.
Questions arose about whether the COLA is tied to a specific index; speakers said the COLA is typically informed by measures such as the Consumer Price Index but is not necessarily mechanically tied to a single indicator. One participant said multiple indicators and affordability considerations enter the city manager’s recommendation and that “nothing has been determined” for final salary action.
Council and staff said they would follow up with the city manager (Charlie) to clarify how the COLA recommendation was calculated and whether the merit component will be structured in the final budget.
