Cortland council removes emergency designation for economic development manager hire, discusses pay, overtime and retirement pickup

The Cortland City Council on May 19 removed the emergency designation from Ordinance O-27-25, which appoints and sets wages and benefits for an Economic and Community Development Manager, and likewise removed the emergency from Ordinance O-28-25, which would authorize the city to pick up the statutory Ohio Public Employees Retirement System contribution for that position under Internal Revenue Code Section 414(h)(2).

Council members said the measures will proceed as regular three-reading ordinances and be revisited at the council’s second meeting in June, with an expected effective date of June 16, 2025 for the OPERS pickup if the ordinances are adopted. The mayor’s office will oversee the new hire, and council discussed how overtime and time reporting will be handled.

Councilmember questions focused on administrative details rather than the hire itself. A council member asked how the city will determine whether the manager is eligible for overtime; the mayor and staff said the new hire will be within the administrative department and that any overtime must be justified to the mayor’s office. Council also confirmed the position will use time cards like other city employees. The ordinances include a longevity provision: after three years the employee receives a percentage increase tied to base pay; council clarified that the language reflects a percentage (3% at the three-year mark) rather than a stacked addition.

Councilors raised that ‘‘essential worker’’ or hazard-type pay language present in some existing union contracts was not included in the nonunion wording for this hire because the service department’s contract language was not carried into the nonunion template; staff said the city could address changes in future negotiations or by memorandum of understanding mid-contract.

Council discussed the candidate referenced as Jeffrey, noting his three years with the city (beginning as an intern), completion of an associate and bachelor’s degree, an MBA expected in the fall, and a claimed record of securing $3.1 million in grants for the city; those qualifications were offered in support of hiring him. Councilors also asked how the candidate’s outside position with a nearby village would be scheduled; staff said the candidate must be hired first and that working outside the city was not unprecedented for some employees.

The related OPERS ordinance (O-28-25) will be adjusted to reflect a June 16, 2025 effective date so it does not take effect before passage, as required by OPERS rules and IRC Section 414(h)(2).

No final hiring vote occurred at the meeting; the council moved both ordinances out of emergency status to follow the three-reading process.