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Residents urge Gunnison council to reconsider across‑the‑board 2% wage increase for municipal officers
Summary
At the public hearing on executive municipal wages, residents said a 2% cost‑of‑living adjustment is modest but urged targeted, merit‑based raises given low local wage growth and rising utility costs; the council closed the hearing and will consider comments in final budget deliberations.
Gunnison opened a public hearing on proposed wages for executive municipal officers, including a 2% cost‑of‑living adjustment. A motion to open the wages hearing passed on recorded affirmation, and multiple residents used the three‑minute public comment period to push back on the across‑the‑board approach.
Carlton Jensen told the council that average household income in Gunnison is roughly $65,000 and has increased only marginally over five years; he said some city positions pay far above local averages and urged the council to exercise restraint and prioritize essential expenditures. Leanne Karen said raises should be performance‑based rather than automatic across the board.
Other commenters raised the recent upward trend in administrative spending and said the city should review efficiency and customer service before increasing wage costs. City officials said they are required by state law to post certain executive municipal officer salaries in a public hearing and that the 2% figure reflected a modest COLA; council members said they would consider the public feedback during remaining budget work.
Why it matters: Wage decisions affect city operating costs and the budget trade‑offs that determine whether the city shows a tax increase, uses reserves, or requests transfers from enterprise funds. The hearing closed after public comment and the council moved the broader budget discussion to continued meetings.
