Port Harbor and Terminal District adopts $29.9 million budget after pay-raise dispute

The Port, Harbor and Terminal District on Thursday approved a $29,900,000 proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 after a contentious exchange over staff cost‑of‑living raises and a last‑minute amendment to the manpower table.

Miss Glapion, the port’s presenter, told commissioners the budget projects $29.9 million in revenues and $28.1 million in expenses, producing roughly $1.8 million in excess and an ending net asset balance in the six‑figure range. She also said unrestricted net assets are forecast at about $10,768,254 and explained those are funds not legally restricted to particular uses.

The meeting’s debate centered on a previously agreed cost‑of‑living increase for employees and an apparent error on the manpower schedule. Commissioner Schultz argued the commission lacked requested supporting materials and raised multiple substantive concerns: “If this goes to a vote, I have to vote no because I don’t understand,” he said, citing missing itemized information and what he described as unexplained increases in professional services and an apparent contract pay‑raise irregularity.

During discussion Miss Glapion acknowledged a bookkeeping error on the manpower schedule, saying, “it was my mistake that I did not include that in the raise for that employee,” and that she had “inadvertently included a raise for Mr Tillotson that will not go through.” She told the board reversing that error would not materially change the bottom‑line number because the amounts are in general operations.

Reverend Edwards offered and Commissioner Konovich seconded an amendment to the manpower table that would reduce Mr Tillotson’s contract by $9,600 and increase the director of projects’ contract by $4,800, a change intended to ensure other employees received the agreed 4% adjustment while excluding the executive from the raise. The commission took a roll‑call vote and the amendment passed.

Commissioner Schultz then moved an amendment to lower the pay increase for all port employees from 4% to 3%; that motion was debated and failed on a roll call, with the tally recorded in the meeting transcript as four yes votes and five no votes. After those outcomes the commission voted to adopt the proposed budget as amended; the chair announced the budget was adopted "as presented with 1 amendment." The meeting adjourned at 05:48.

The discussion left two recurring themes in the record: commissioners pressing for more transparent, timely distribution of supporting budget materials, and staff and several commissioners urging that employees receive a 4% cost‑of‑living adjustment. The port’s presenter said staff were willing to execute paperwork to correct the manpower schedule immediately.

Next steps: the adopted FY‑26 budget will be the governing document for the port unless commissioners bring further amendments later in the fiscal year, which several members noted is permissible through regular amendment processes.