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Council approves raises for many city workers after heated debate on levy and exemptions
Summary
The council approved wage increases for general city employees as part of omnibus budget amendments, triggering extended debate about whether raises should be larger and how to shift compensation toward nonexempt workers. Arguments focused on fairness, long-term levy impact and shifting dollars away from exempt/executive pay.
The Common Council debated employee compensation at length while considering omnibus amendments tied to the 2026 budget. Supporters argued modest pay increases would help retain frontline workers who provide city services; opponents warned that larger raises would increase the property-tax levy and create future budget pressure.
Alderman Brower urged colleagues to recognize the link between compensation and service quality: "The way that you show a worker that you appreciate them is with the amount of compensation that you provide them," he said during the floor debate. Several council members argued the omnibus reflected a compromise with labor representatives.
Opponents, including Alderman Baumann and others, pressed for greater precision about who benefits from proposed raises and urged focusing more funding on nonexempt (civil service) employees rather than higher-paid exempt staff. Alderman Baumann proposed an amendment to retain the mayor—s 2% baseline and restructure additional dollars to favor nonexempt staff; that substitute effort was debated but ultimately did not become the controlling action.
Why it matters: Payroll increases are the largest recurring expense in most city budgets. The council—s decisions on raises affect recruitment, retention and the operating budget for years.
Outcome: The council approved omnibus changes that included a multi-step compensation package; the omnibus substitute 1J (adopted by roll call) reflected the compromise the finance committee brought to the floor and was incorporated into the adopted 2026 budget.
