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Florence council moves to strip 'merit' language, weigh across‑the‑board increases and stipends for staff
Summary
Town Manager Bruce Walls recommended removing merit‑based language tying raises to performance evaluations; council members asked staff to draft options (prorated increases, one‑time stipends, public‑safety adjustments) and return a resolution for Dec. 4. No formal pay vote was taken.
Florence — Town Manager Bruce Walls told the Town Council on Nov. 17 that the administration recommends removing language that ties pay increases directly to annual performance evaluations and instead present several replacement options for the council to consider.
Walls said the existing policy (Section 606) creates a "halo effect" in supervisor ratings that makes merit pay unfair in practice and risks damaging morale if the system remains linked to compensation. He proposed decoupling evaluations from pay decisions this year and asked council to consider a one‑time increase or an across‑the‑board percent increase while staff fixes evaluation fidelity.
Council members discussed multiple approaches: a…
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