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Mesquite council directs amended budget to fund one‑time merit boosts and targeted public safety pay adjustments
Summary
City manager outlined an amended budget that would use a portion of fund balance to provide a 5% merit pool for general government employees and targeted base‑pay adjustments for police and fire, with council direction to pursue the plan and return detailed rubrics in July.
City Manager Cliff Kaheeli told the Mesquite City Council on Feb. 2 that staff plans to use a portion of the city's fund balance to address employee pay after the November election left the tax rate at 0.70469.
"The tax rate, is set at 0.70469, which is the voter approved rate," Kaheeli said, outlining a baseline that assumes merit increases and market adjustments already budgeted. He recommended using fund balance to provide a 5% merit increase for general government employees and a targeted adjustment to public safety starting pay to improve recruitment and retention.
Kaheeli said the proposed public safety base increase would move Mesquite's starting pay for police and fire to about $6,988 per month and that the one‑time base adjustment carries an estimated $400,000 cost compared with a straight 3% across‑the‑board raise. "This request keeps the fund around 70 days of working capital, well above our minimum of 60 days," he added.
Council members pressed for transparency on how merit would be awarded and on civil service limits for public safety pay. "I just want to make sure that we're transparent as far as an organization," said Mayor Pro Tem Kenny Green, asking for objective criteria that can be publicly explained.
Several councilmembers suggested staff present the merit rubrics and benchmarking methodology at a future workshop. Kaheeli agreed to return with more detail in July and to account for the multi‑year implications of any base pay changes, which carry ongoing funding obligations.
Instead of a single across‑the‑board boost for public safety, Kaheeli proposed combining step increases to raise starting pay while keeping future increases manageable; non‑step public safety positions would receive a 3% increase under the plan. Council signaled support for the approach and directed staff to prepare the amended budget that implements a 5% merit strategy for general government and targeted public safety adjustments, with follow‑up presentations and fiscal safeguards.
Next steps: staff will deliver a detailed implementation plan and performance‑evaluation rubric during the July budget process and will return to council with any formal budget amendments for adoption.
