Cookeville council awards city manager 5% merit raise after outside evaluation scores him 4.93

Cookeville — The Cookeville City Council voted 5‑0 on Aug. 7 to grant a 5% merit increase to City Manager James Mills after an annual evaluation conducted by the city's law firm reported an overall rating of 4.93.

Why it matters: The evaluation, performed by outside counsel at the council’s request, rated the city manager highly across categories including council and community relationships, leadership and finance. The council’s action ties pay recognition to that evaluation and to broader merit raises given to city employees.

The city attorney described the evaluation process: council members completed a confidential questionnaire and the law firm compiled results. "I'm very pleased to report that the city manager's evaluation, is quite frankly excellent," the city attorney said, reporting a 4.93 rating and noting that in the firm's experience it was unusually high. The attorney said 4.93 equates roughly to 98.6 percent.

Council members praised Mills' leadership and responsiveness before moving to the pay motion. "I feel fortunate to work with this group and with you firsthand, and I think the results speak for themselves," one council member said. Another added: "Everything rises and falls on leadership. City of Cookeville is in a very good spot."

Council action: A motion to grant a 5% merit raise to the city manager was made, seconded and approved 5‑0. The council did not detail funding source adjustments on the record during the meeting; the mayor framed the action as part of merit‑based raises for city employees.

What happens next: The 5% merit raise will be implemented in accordance with city personnel and payroll procedures. The law firm’s evaluation process will remain part of the annual review cycle.