Finance committee recommends raising elected-official pay and a $1,000 monthly threshold for medical credit; public input to be solicited

The Medina City Council Finance Committee discussed proposed pay adjustments for the mayor, council president and council members and recommended changes intended to secure pension and medical-credit eligibility under state retirement rules.

The committee approved, by a 2–1 vote, a recommendation that council members’ pay be set at $1,000 per month (the level cited as the healthcare eligibility floor under the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, OPERS). Mr. Rose, who presented the ad hoc committee’s report, described the majority recommendation and said the committee "passed by a vote of 2 to 1." He added that the committee recommended a higher rate for the council president that the materials list as "$12.82 per month or 15,384" (as recorded in the meeting packet and discussed during the meeting).

Why it matters: Committee members said the principal goal is to align compensation with OPERS thresholds so elected officials accrue proportional pension and, where applicable, medical credit. Committee members also discussed the public perception of raises and the timing of any change: under state rules a pay change for an elected office cannot take effect for an incumbent until after the next intervening election, so current officeholders would not receive increases unless reelected.

During the discussion committee members and staff reviewed OPERS rules as presented at the meeting, including the distinction between pension credit (which accrues proportionally below certain pension thresholds) and medical-credit rules (which the presenters characterized as a $1,000/month floor to earn medical credit). Members asked that the packet include comparisons with similar cities (Wadsworth, Brunswick, Strongsville, and others) and agreed the committee’s recommended figures were roughly mid‑range for communities of Medina’s size.

Action and next steps: Committee members asked staff to post the proposed salary schedule and supporting materials on the city website and to solicit public comment for several weeks before the matter returns to the committee and then to full council. The committee indicated it will bring the item back for formal action after the public‑comment period and after staff compiles the comparative data and any clarifications on OPERS thresholds.

Quotes: "It was over an hour and a half. Good discussion. A lot of good points brought out," Mr. Rose said of the ad hoc committee. "The proposal by the members of the committee were a thousand dollars per month to meet that health care bottom, and it was passed by a vote of 2 to 1." Natalie (identified in the transcript by her first name) said posting the proposal for public comment would help transparency: "I feel it's more important to get it out there because if we just pass it, people are gonna say, well, you guys we didn't even know about it."

Ending: Committee members asked staff to publish the proposal and related materials and to return the item to the next-but-one meeting after a short public‑comment window, with legal and actuarial clarifications included.