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Galena council approves $5,000 raises for three deputy administrators after rejecting larger salary package
Summary
The Galena City Council rejected a proposed set of salary adjustments that included new $90,000 annual salaries for three deputy administrator positions, then approved a separate motion granting $5,000 raises to the three appointees and leaving two existing staff salaries unchanged.
At a regular session of the Galena City Council, councilmembers rejected a broad salary-and-appointment package and instead approved a narrower pay increase for three newly defined deputy administrator positions.
Councilmembers first considered a motion to appoint and set annual salaries for three deputy administrator roles — social deputy administrator, environmental deputy administrator and economic deputy administrator — at $90,000 each, with a three-year raise freeze attached. The same motion also proposed increasing Jason Bigham’s salary to $80,373 and Sam White’s salary to $59,000. "I make a motion to approve the city appointments and salary adjustments as followed for the 3 For the 3 roles...to be at the proposed annualized salary of 90,000 each with contingent upon, raise freeze for 3 years," said a councilmember during the motion.
The presiding officer called for a second and the council took a roll call; Westmark and Wehan voted no, Johnson voted yes and Kiefer voted no. The presiding officer stated, "Okay. That motion was denied." The council did not adopt the proposed $90,000 salaries or the three-year raise freeze.
After the failed motion, a different councilmember moved to give each of the three deputy administrators — identified in the discussion as Jonathan (social deputy administrator), Jen (environmental deputy administrator) and Hillary (economic deputy administrator) — a $5,000 merit raise, with the increases to be reviewed in six months. The motion also left Jason Bigham’s proposed adjustment at $80,373 and Sam White’s salary at $59,000. "I'll make a motion that we give each of them, Jonathan, Jen, and No. Hillary, $5,000 media raise, and we review it in 6 months," the mover said.
Councilmember Derek Kiefer seconded the motion. During discussion, one councilmember said, "I don't think that the 6 months proves anything, and I don't think it accounts for the change, the restructuring ... the 6 months doesn't give us enough time to analyze it, and it does not account for the increased responsibility." The presiding officer directed the clerk to take a roll call. The clerk recorded votes: Johnson voted no; Kiefer voted yes; Pegmeyer voted no; Westmeyer voted yes; Mehan voted yes. The presiding officer announced, "Alright. Motion passed."
The council’s action therefore adopted the $5,000 raises for the three deputy administrators, to be reviewed after six months, and left the proposed salary levels for Bigham and White as stated in the second motion. The transcript does not specify whether the raises will be funded from a particular departmental budget line or whether any additional fiscal analysis will be required. The item was presented under agenda item number 25C-0299.
Meeting participants voiced concern about the six-month review period and whether it provides adequate time to evaluate the restructuring and expanded duties assigned to the new roles. No statutory authority, ordinance number or specific funding source was cited on the record during the discussion.
