Eugene council unanimously approves two-step merit increase for municipal court judge

The Eugene City Council voted unanimously July 16 during a work session to grant the municipal court judge a two-step merit salary increase and authorized the council president to execute an amendment to the judge's employment contract.

Councilors considered the annual judicial evaluation and compensation options presented by Becky DeWitt, interim employee and labor relations manager, and discussed a report by the Judicial Evaluation Committee before taking action.

DeWitt told the council the work session was "for counsel to discuss compensation options as part of the formal presenting municipal court judge evaluation," and summarized the options included in the staff report and attachment B, which ranged from one- or two-step increases to alternative merit increases or donor-funded adjustments. She said the council has sole authority to determine compensation under the judge's employment contract.

Councilors praised the judge's work during discussion. Councilor Groves said, "I really appreciate how you approach problems. You dig in, you figure out problems that we've experienced for some time, and you apply innovative solutions," specifically noting restorative-justice programs. Councilor Zelenka and Councilor Yeh also commended the judge's leadership and the alternative-court initiatives.

After discussion, the council president moved "to award Judge Gill a merit salary increase of 2 steps, which is equivalent to step 10 on grade 12, about $191,817.60 annually or $92.22 hourly, and to authorize the council president to execute an amendment to Gill's employment contract with the awarded salary increase." The motion was seconded. The council then voted: "That is 7, out of 7 today. So that is unanimous." The motion passed with a recorded tally of 7 yes, 0 no.

The action implements the compensation increase described in the motion; no additional directions or follow-up tasks were recorded during the session.

Background and context: on May 12 the council appointed members to a Judicial Evaluation Committee that provided the evaluation materials the council used in this review. Committee members named in the meeting included Blake Burrell (Human Rights Commission past chair), Ashley Weese (partner, Eckert, Wostman and Weese), Brooke Reinhard (Reinhard Law), the Hon. Jay McGalpin (presiding judge, Lane County Circuit Court) and Tracy Epler (Laurel Hill Mental Health Services). DeWitt said the committee met multiple evenings to produce the accepted report. The council did not place conditions on the salary amendment in the open session.