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Peachtree City council approves 2% mid‑year COLA for employees, votes 4‑1
Summary
Council approved a 2% mid‑year cost-of-living adjustment for all city employees, retroactive to the current pay period beginning March 23, 2026; staff estimated the cost at about $255,974 and said salary savings covered the expense.
Peachtree City Council voted 4‑1 to approve a 2% mid‑year cost‑of‑living adjustment for all employees, intended to partially close a multi‑year gap with inflation.
Justin Strickland, city staff, presented the request, saying the city had already provided a 2% COLA at the start of the fiscal year and that an additional 2% mid‑year adjustment would help narrow a longer cumulative gap with CPI dating to 2020. Staff estimated the cost of the mid‑year COLA and corresponding 2% pay‑scale adjustment at $255,974 and said available salary savings of roughly $902,991 would cover the expense without dipping into reserves.
Council members debated whether to approve 2% or a smaller 1% increase. One council member voiced concern about approving an extra 2% mid‑year because it would become perpetual and preferred a 1% adjustment; another said the city was already behind CPI by several percentage points and that adding the extra 1% now would reduce the impact of a forthcoming compensation study. After discussion, a motion to approve the 2% adjustment passed 4‑1.
Action taken: Motion to approve a 2% mid‑year COLA for all employees, effective retroactive to the beginning of the current pay period, March 23, 2026, and a 2% upward adjustment to the city's pay scale; outcome: approved 4‑1. The council did not record individual recorded votes in the transcript; minutes will contain the formal roll call.
Next steps: Staff will implement the retroactive pay and adjust payroll; the compensation study referenced by staff will follow in coming months and may inform future adjustments.
