Council adopts personnel‑ordinance changes to move to annual performance pay and formalize tuition reimbursement

The council adopted amendments to the City of Ellsworth personnel ordinance (Chapter 34) on June 16 to transition from a merit increase schedule previously described as every three years to an annual, performance‑based pay system. Carrie Taylor, the city’s Human Resources Manager, presented the amendments and said they reflect changes the council approved in the FY26 budget.

Why it matters: The changes move the city toward annual performance review and merit increases tied to evaluations rather than irregular cost‑of‑living adjustments. HR staff said the amendment will also formalize tuition reimbursement: employees will apply for tuition assistance, department managers and the city manager will review requests, and eligibility will be tied to performance thresholds and relevance to the employee’s role.

Details: Taylor said the existing ordinance included a merit eligibility period of three years that had not aligned with actual practice; the update clarifies timing and adds a formal application, manager and city‑manager approval steps and performance criteria for tuition reimbursements. Staff noted the change aims to improve retention and professional development, citing recent turnover in finance and other departments.

Next steps: The ordinance was adopted by motion and will be implemented through personnel policies and administrative processes; HR will develop the application form and criteria and provide guidance to departments on how the program will operate in practice.