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Cheyenne finance committee backs 3% cost-of-living raise for city employees
Summary
The City of Cheyenne Finance Committee recommended a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for all full- and part-time city employees after a midyear budget review; the measure will go to the full council with committee support despite at least one dissent over distributional equity.
The City of Cheyenne’s Finance Committee on Dec. 1 recommended that the City Council adopt a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for all full- and part-time city employees following a midyear review of the budget.
Mayor Patrick Collins, who presented the proposal, said the city reviewed its finances with the treasurer and chief of staff and concluded the increase was affordable and necessary to keep salaries competitive. “We believe that we can support a 3% cost of living increase for our employees,” Collins said, adding that the city would prepare a reappropriation for the next reappropriation cycle. He provided an estimated fiscal impact of $555,345 from the general fund for the second half of the year and $160,858 across other funds.
The measure drew public support from current and former city employees. Seth Lloyd, a city employee and member of an employee advocacy group, said the adjustment preserves purchasing power: “This keeps up with inflation,” he said, and noted that pay-grade adjustments will prevent someone from being penalized by the pay grade scale. Former city employee Stephanie Lowe called the raise “well deserved,” thanking council members for considering the proposal.
Council discussion focused on who benefits most from a flat percentage increase. Councilman Ken Moody said front-line workers earning $60,000 or less have been left behind in recent budgets and proposed exploring a higher percentage for that group; he said he could not support the motion as originally written for distributional reasons. Councilman Wolf and others argued for maintaining a uniform 3% adjustment to keep salaries broadly competitive.
A motion to recommend adoption was moved and seconded; the committee recorded two ayes and one no and recommended sending the item to the Monday council meeting with a favorable recommendation. The full council will consider final adoption and any implementation details, including changes to pay grades and the formal reappropriation process.
The committee did not adopt a substitute to change the distribution at the meeting; council members indicated they would continue to work with the treasurer on any potential adjustments before final council action.
