Council amends salary rules, removes vacant positions and approves 3% COLA amendment
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Summary
The council amended salary ordinances on Nov. 3 to establish a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for appointed employees, added a 3% increase for the city clerk line item, and removed several vacant, unbudgeted positions from the salary schedule.
The Lawrence Common Council voted on multiple salary-related ordinances during the Nov. 3 meeting, approving a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for appointed employees (as an amendment to the salary ordinance) and removing several unfilled positions from the salary schedule.
What passed: Council amended proposal 10 (salaries for appointed officers and employees) to include a 3% increase as a cost-of-living adjustment and approved the amendment by voice vote; the transcript records unanimous or near-unanimous voice votes on that amendment. Separately, councilors debated proposal 8 (elected officials— compensation) and approved a motion to amend that ordinance to add a 3% increase for the city clerk line item; that amendment passed on a voice vote (01:18:16; 01:22:00).
Positions removed: The council moved to remove several positions from the salary ordinance because they were vacant and not budgeted in 2026. The transcript lists the removed titles: deputy chief of staff, public information officer (with clarification that a staff member holds a communications title in dual capacity), city planner, city quartermaster, engineer tech, grant coordinator, information technology coordinator, recreation assistant, recreation coordinator and staff accountant. The comptroller and HR director confirmed the positions were unfilled and unbudgeted for 2026; the council voted to remove them pending future decisions to fund and reinsert positions if needed (01:22:00; 01:49:00).
Budget mechanics and next steps: Staff clarified that approving a salary ordinance or an amendment establishing a pay rate does not itself appropriate funds. Any 2026 pay increases will require a separate appropriation in January 2026; several councilors discussed using reverted 2025 funds to cover 2026 raises and staff outlined the formal appropriation steps required (01:49:00).
Why it matters: The changes affect take-home pay for city employees and the structure of the salary schedule; removing vacant positions reduces the number of budgeted salaries in 2026. Councilors emphasized the need to balance employee pay parity with limited reserves.
