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Council adopts bilingual pay policy for non-represented city employees
Summary
Council expanded the bilingual premium to non-represented city employees, matching language pay approved for police and Teamster contracts; staff said testing will be conducted through an outside vendor and four languages were prioritized.
Port Orchard adopted a personnel policy Jan. 13 establishing bilingual pay for non-represented city employees, aligning their benefits with language premiums already included in union contracts.
Human resources staff explained the policy mirrors the bilingual premium the council previously approved in 2024 for police and for negotiated Teamster contracts. The policy targets fluency in Spanish, Tagalog, Korean, or American Sign Language and would be implemented after employees pass a proficiency test administered by an outside vendor.
Council members discussed how bilingual pay will be used operationally to increase constituent accessibility and whether the premium should be tied to demonstrable use on the job. Staff said the targeted languages were identified after consultation with public-safety staff about which languages are most frequently encountered, and that employees are tested virtually through a standardized vendor process. Several council members suggested pilot monitoring and clearer guidance on when bilingual duties will be requested.
After questions and comments, the council adopted the resolution establishing the bilingual-pay policy by voice vote.
