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Council adopts 2026 salary schedule with 3% across-the-board increase; added longevity for long‑tenured sworn officers
Summary
The council approved Ordinance 40-20-25 setting the 2026 salary schedule, including a 3% pay increase for regular employees and a $1,500 longevity increase for sworn officers with 20+ years of service.
The West Lafayette Common Council voted to adopt Ordinance 40-20-25, which sets the 2026 salary schedule for elected officials, appointed officers, employees and members of several city departments. City Controller Peter Gray said the ordinance reflects amounts included in the proposed 2026 budget and contains a 3% salary increase for full-time and part‑time regular employees as well as an additional $1,500 longevity increase for sworn officers with 20 or more years of service.
Gray said the increases were coordinated with the mayor and budget planning and that the city is budgeting for a 10% estimate for health-insurance costs in the budget narrative, though AIM — the city's health plan administrator — has estimated closer to 3% and city staff expect to be able to reduce that estimate. The controller said overall general fund expenses in the proposed 2026 budget are higher primarily because of personnel costs, including the salary increases and higher health‑insurance costs.
During public comment, Zachary Bail of Connolly Street asked whether any employees besides the mayor, clerk and wastewater utility staff receive salary funding from wastewater utility funds and requested more transparency about salary distribution by department and year‑over‑year percent changes. Another public speaker, Sean Sasser, asked whether the mayor’s salary would be included in the 3% increase; the controller confirmed the 3% applies across the board to city employees, elected officials and full‑time regular employees.
On roll call the council recorded eight yeas, no nays; the controller and the mayor both expressed support for the increase as a means of keeping salary levels competitive and supporting city staff retention.
The ordinance will be heard again as required (procedural notation in the meeting indicates a further reading); the controller said the salary provisions align with the budget and that staff will provide requested additional detail to the public ahead of subsequent readings when feasible.
