Liberty Lake’s Salary Commission has approved a 7% boost in elected official compensation and council staff discussed broader pay changes for city employees during a Nov. 10 budget workshop.

Finance staff told the council the Salary Commission voted unanimously at a public hearing to increase council member pay from $8.80 to $9.40 and the mayor’s pay from $26.75 to $28.65. Kyle said he will update the budget binder to reflect the commission’s decision.

At the same time, staff walked the council through the proposed compensation structure for non‑bargained positions: a 2.7% cost‑of‑living adjustment, a 3% market adjustment based on Association of Washington Cities salary survey comparables (examples: Moses Lake, Walla Walla, Spokane Valley, Cheney, Airway Heights, Pullman) and a 2% step increase tied to satisfactory annual evaluations. Staff described the 2% step as moving an employee one step within a 10‑step salary range. The combined elements can produce a roughly 7.7% impact on ranges for some non‑bargained positions.

Councilors asked for the list of comparables and for clarification where adjustments are targeted; staff said the underlying survey and a detailed comparable list will be provided in supporting documentation.

What’s next: staff will correct salary lines in the binder and bring updated contracts or agreements to the Nov. 18 meeting where applicable.