Concord council rates city manager satisfactory, approves 3% raise and vacation carryover

The Concord City Council on July 14 formally recorded a “satisfactory” performance rating for the city manager and amended his employment contract to add a 3% salary increase for fiscal year 2026 and permit a 90‑day vacation carryover. The move follows the council’s annual evaluation process required by the city charter. Councilor Kredovick moved the evaluation finding; the council then considered a separate motion to modify the manager’s contract. Councilor Kredovick moved to recognize the city manager’s “effective leadership and consistent performance” and later proposed the contract amendment that the council described as aligning the manager’s vacation accrual policy with other city employees. Councilor Schultz said she supported the manager’s work but opposed the pay increase, citing concerns about wage perception and broader discussions about minimum wage and cost‑of‑living adjustments in the community. Councilor Brown asked that the manager review committee revisit the evaluation process to provide more public transparency. Councilor Kredefik framed the 3% raise as a modest, responsible adjustment for a long‑serving manager. A roll‑call vote on the contract amendment resulted in a 10‑3 tally in favor (motion passes). Following council discussion, members directed that the evaluation remain a binary satisfactory/unsatisfactory record under the charter, and that the manager’s compensation change take effect for fiscal year 2026 per the adopted amendment. The council noted the evaluation and contract actions are distinct: the evaluation did not automatically alter pay, and the pay change was approved through the separate contract motion. Councilors asked staff and the manager review committee to examine the annual evaluation process for future cycles so the public can better see how the city manager is assessed. The council made the decisions in open session under the city charter’s Section 21(b). No additional administrative changes to the charter were made at the meeting.