Elyria council delays pay increase for municipal court non‑bargaining staff, sends matter to strategic planning

Elyria City Council on Feb. 18 declined to adopt an ordinance that would update wages for certain non‑bargaining employees of the Elyria Municipal Court and instead referred the proposal to the council—s strategic planning committee for further study and discussion.

The ordinance before council sought to "reflect updated wages for certain non bargaining employees of the Elyria Municipal Court and declare emergency," and council members said the proposal roughly tracked a 6% adjustment for 2025 that had been requested by court officials. Several members said they supported the court employees but wanted a formal salary study and collaboration with the court before approving a permanent change.

Why it matters: The council—s action pauses an immediate pay change and routes the matter to a committee that includes the full council, the mayor and senior staff. Council members cited budget constraints, the need for market‑comparative data and the legal boundary between council budget authority and the municipal court—s compensation requests.

Council debate centered on affordability and process. Council member Oswald said he was uneasy treating non‑bargaining employees the same as union members and noted a history of multiple raises; he said, "to me, non bargaining doesn't mean that you get the same as what the unions just because the unions did all the work and we're bargaining." Council member Osterholm, reporting a conversation with the finance director, said, "the money said to me, Kenny? Yes, we can for this year." Several members, including Councilwoman Saworca and Councilwoman Mitchell, urged a salary study and stronger collaboration with the judges and clerk of courts before enactment.

Law Director Deary advised that state law and recent Ohio Supreme Court precedent require coordination between municipal courts and legislative authorities when budgets and salaries overlap. He told council, "the Ohio revised code specifically sets forth which particular positions... which positions, salaries are set by who," and said the revised code and case law make the issue a collaborative, not unilateral, one.

Council took a formal procedural step after extended discussion. A motion to amend and send the ordinance back to committee prevailed; the clerk—s tally during the roll call reflected the referral outcome as recorded on the meeting transcript.

What council directed next: The matter will be considered by the strategic planning committee, which the clerk scheduled to convene with the mayor, finance director, safety service director and law director for further discussion. Council members asked the administration to pursue or coordinate a salary study comparing municipal court employee pay with comparable communities and to seek the court—s participation in that study.

Context and background: Judges and court staff requested a compensation adjustment earlier in the month; transcript remarks indicate the judges asked for a roughly 6% increase for 2025. Council members repeatedly referenced the need for a market‑based salary structure so future requests would be governed by a formal salary scale rather than ad hoc requests.

Next steps: The council—s referral means no pay change was enacted at the Feb. 18 meeting; the committee will report back to full council with findings and any recommended ordinance or timing for implementation.