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Councilors table 2.8% COLA for 68 nonunion positions, ask HR for baseline salaries and counts of incumbents at maximum
Summary
Personnel Director proposed a 2.8% cost‑of‑living adjustment to align nonunion pay with the market; councillors requested the list of affected positions, current incumbents’ salaries, counts of staff already at maximum, and the pre‑Collins Centre baseline before deciding and tabled the measure to let Budget, Personnel and Ordinance committees review.
Personnel Director Kara Garcia presented a proposal to apply a 2.8% cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) to the city’s nonunion pay plan, citing that the Collins Center reclassification implemented in 2023 has eroded toward the market and that nonunion employees have not had a general increase in 2024.
Garcia said the proposal would affect 68 nonunion positions and be effective for calendar year 2026. She described the change as a modest, market‑based adjustment tied to CPI that aims to retain experienced staff who do not have union protections such as grievance processes or negotiated lump‑sum allowances.
Councillors asked for more detail before deciding. Questions included: which specific positions and incumbents would be affected; where current salaries sit relative to the recommended minimum/midpoint/maximum; how many incumbents are already at the maximum of their grade; and what the baseline salaries were prior to the Collins Center changes. Several members expressed concern that appointing authority discretion and prior practice had allowed rapid placements to mid‑ or top‑range for some hires and asked for evidence (hiring records, historical schedules) to assess whether the COLA would disproportionately benefit positions or individuals. Council members suggested the item go to Budget & Finance and Ordinance committees for fiscal and policy review.
Given the requests for data and intercommittee vetting, the committee voted to table the COLA reclassification and to request an Excel spreadsheet showing: the recommended minimums/maximums, the pre‑Collins baseline, current incumbent salaries, and which positions are already at maximum. Personnel committed to supply the requested data for further review.
Next steps: HR will provide the spreadsheet and a baseline historical salary schedule; the item will be rescheduled after Budget, Ordinance and Personnel review and after the committee reviews the data.
