Bluff City board approves pay and back pay for interim town manager Michelle Roberts

The Bluff City Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to approve pay and back pay for interim town manager Michelle Roberts, agreeing to $35 per hour for a 30-hour work week and to provide back pay to her start date (noted in the meeting as Oct. 9 or Oct. 10; date not specified).

The action, taken during the regular meeting, establishes an annualized salary of $54,600 when the $35 hourly rate is stretched across a full year at 30 hours per week and noted a 37-week figure of $38,850 that was discussed during the motion. The board also agreed to revisit the interim compensation during the March regular meeting and schedule a workshop the day before that meeting (March 3) to firm up the job description and salary for a permanent city manager search.

Nut graf: The board said the pay decision is intended to compensate Roberts for work already performed while staff and aldermen finalize a job description and budget for a permanent city manager. Members said they expect to reexamine the compensation as they build next year’s budget and to confirm a job description and salary range before recruiting for the permanent position.

Board members discussed the payment structure and timing of a future review. A motion was made to pay Roberts at the stated hourly rate with back pay to her start date; another member seconded the motion. Several aldermen confirmed “yes” votes during roll call, and the mayoral presiding officer announced the motion carried. The board directed that the compensation be revisited in March, and scheduled a workshop on March 3 to finalize the job description and discuss the budget implications.

Michelle Roberts, identified in the meeting as the interim town manager, told the board, “I’m happy to be here to serve the community and service board. And I understand there are budget restrictions.” She added that she did not want to jeopardize municipal finances and would accept the board’s decision for now.

Members noted the town’s limited salary resources for a full-time city manager and that benefits (discussed in the meeting as an additional roughly $10,000 in value) might be added to any future offer for a permanent hire. The board did not adopt a permanent salary for a city manager at this meeting; members said determining a final offer will depend on the approved job description and the municipal budget process.

Ending: The board’s motion to authorize interim pay and back pay for Roberts passed and the item will be revisited during the March regular meeting after a workshop on March 3, when the board expects to finalize the city manager job description and proposed salary range.