Metro committee defers contested 15-year pay-plan restructure after extended debate

The Metro Council Budget & Finance Committee on June 2 deferred consideration for one meeting of a proposed, 15‑year pay-plan restructure that would change pay ranges and step increases for general employees and other city workers.

Council members pressed administration and finance officials for details about who would benefit from the plan, how the increases would be phased, and what would happen to employees if the plan were rejected. Director Hall and Mary Jo Wiggins of Metro finance told the committee that implementation this year would cost roughly $55,800,000 in additional general‑fund spending and that pay ranges would be adjusted upward — roughly 7–8% at the low end — before distributing merit and across‑the‑board increases.

Committee members said they supported moving toward more market‑competitive pay but objected to the…