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Nampa council approves pay increases that average about 3% for city employees
Summary
Council approved a market-and-merit pay package that raises base wages across the city by roughly 3% on average; lower-wage brackets receive slightly larger percentage increases under the finalized plan.
The Nampa City Council approved a citywide wage adjustment during its budget workshop, advancing a market-and-merit package that will raise most employee pay by roughly 3% on average.
Finance Director Doug presented the pay proposal to council as a combination of a 1% market adjustment plus a merit pool intended to be distributed with larger percentages going to lower-wage brackets. The council ultimately approved a structure that delivers larger relative increases to lower wage tiers while holding the upper-tier increases closer to the city average; staff said the overall impact on the operating budget is about $1.99 million for market and merit combined.
Doug explained the decision to weight more of the increase toward lower wage groups was deliberate: “We are sloping the preponderance of the merit increase to the lower end of the pay scale,” he said, to make wages more competitive for entry- and mid-level roles and reduce turnover.
Council also discussed a small optional targeted step — a roughly $9,200 cost to narrow a pay gap for about 16 employees who earn above $60 per hour — but that additional step was postponed for later consideration.
Finance staff said employee health-care costs remain a major budget pressure, and that the city has been absorbing rising benefits costs. Staff also noted hiring in some enterprise funds — water, wastewater and Streets — will be funded from those enterprise budgets. The wage package as approved is included in departmental budgets that the council approved later in the workshop.
Council members stressed the city must balance competitiveness (to retain staff, particularly against nearby jurisdictions such as Meridian and Boise) with fiscal prudence. Doug told the council the proposal places the city roughly “in the middle of the pack” compared with regional peers.
The wage increase is part of the draft FY2026 budget approved by the council during the workshop and will be incorporated into the final budget hearing and adoption process.
