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Council adopts one-time 1.5% bonus for city employees; some council disagreement recorded
Summary
Council adopted an ordinance authorizing a one-time 1.5% monetary bonus for city officers and employees in line with the Commonwealth’s supplemental bonus; the measure passed by roll call with one dissenting vote.
The Bristol Virginia City Council adopted an ordinance on June 24, 2025, authorizing a one-time 1.5% monetary bonus for city officers and employees, a move staff said aligns municipal action with the Commonwealth’s supplemental bonus program for state employees.
Staff (Randy) told council the bonus would address parity concerns because some employees funded through constitutional officer budgets receive the statewide 1.5% bonus while city-funded staff performing similar work would otherwise receive nothing. Randy said the city had approximately $277,000 available from one-time revenue to fund the bonuses and that the money was not a recurring revenue stream; using it on a one-time bonus would not commit the city to ongoing expense.
Lehi Jones, a public commenter, criticized the proposal during the public-comment period, saying it was inconsistent with earlier council statements about lacking surplus funds to reduce the tax rate and urged that any windfall be used to reduce taxpayers’ bills instead of awarding staff bonuses. Jones said he supported extending parity to employees excluded from raises but opposed applying the payment broadly.
Council discussion emphasized employee retention and the need to treat staff equitably. Several council members said the one-time bonus was appropriate to help retain experienced staff who could be recruited away by other localities. Council adopted the ordinance on second reading; the roll-call vote recorded one “no” from Councilmember Pollard and affirmative votes from the remaining members.
