Rocky Mount council eliminates longevity pay from personnel code
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Summary
The City Council adopted an ordinance deleting the longevity pay section of the personnel code, a move city staff said will save roughly $1.2 million annually while a replacement administrative policy is developed.
The Rocky Mount City Council on Nov. 10 adopted an ordinance deleting section 16.87 of the city code, removing the municipal longevity-pay benefit for employees effective upon adoption.
City Manager Elton Daniels told the council the current longevity program costs the city about $1,200,000 a year and described the ordinance as a cost-saving measure intended to protect essential services while staff designs a lower-cost alternative. Daniels said he expects to present a proposed administrative policy within days for council consideration, with the goal of providing some form of longevity pay to employees before Christmas.
Councilman Joiner moved to adopt the ordinance; Councilman Harris seconded. The mayor announced the motion carried, noting the ordinance required a supermajority and that the council "did get 5" votes in favor.
Daniels framed the change as part of a broader effort to improve efficiency and modernize financial management amid mounting economic pressure on the city. He said staff is "evaluating other ways" to continue recognizing employee longevity but at a rate that fits the budget.
The ordinance text, as read at the meeting, repeals the longevity-pay clause and directs that conflicting administrative personnel policies be repealed. The city manager told council that any replacement approach would be implemented through administrative policy and brought back to council for a vote if required.
Council members did not record individual roll-call votes in the meeting transcript; the mayor stated the measure met the five-of-seven threshold required for the change. The next steps identified at the meeting are the manager's forthcoming policy recommendation and a possible vote at the next council meeting.
