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Live Oak council debates possible pay increase for city manager as proposed hiring/salary freeze is read aloud
Summary
Councilors and members of the public debated whether to pursue a market-based raise for the city manager or to pause new hires and suspend scheduled pay increases while the city’s FY2025 budget remains in place; a motion was introduced but no vote is recorded in the transcript.
A councilor opened discussion of Item B — a possible salary increase for the City Manager — and argued the city needs to remain competitive with nearby municipalities to retain a highly qualified manager.
"If we want to be competitive and maintain high-level city managers, then we're going to have to be competitive in rewarding performance," the councilor said, citing performance evaluations described in the record as "highly effective." The speaker listed comparative annual salaries for other municipal managers as context, saying the City of Live Oak's manager was being paid approximately $102,000 in the record and that neighboring jurisdictions pay more.
The council repeatedly distinguished routine cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) from discretionary, merit- or market-based raises. Officials said COLA is applied broadly and is already set in the city’s budget; they advised that any change to an individual’s base salary should be handled during the formal budget cycle, which the council described as starting in July with final approval typically in October.
During the meeting a participant read text from an emailed draft seeking a hiring freeze and salary suspension. The circulated language in the record stated in part: "All scheduled cost of living adjustments and merit-based pay increases are suspended for the remainder of the fiscal year," while exempting public-safety roles and calling for quarterly review by the city manager and council.
A member of the public, Anita Williams, who introduced herself and identified as a property owner, asked whether the proposed pause would take effect immediately or apply only to the next fiscal year and whether the freeze excluded police officers. Council members answered that there was not currently a hiring freeze in effect and reiterated that any pay decisions outside of the planned COLA would be considered during the next budget process.
A motion was introduced relating to consideration of a possible increase for the city manager, but no roll-call vote or final decision appears in the provided transcript. The motion’s mover was not named in the excerpt and discussion continued with opportunity for public input.
Members of the council also pressed for attention to other budget priorities raised during the meeting, including street and sidewalk repairs and replacement of a city garbage truck, with at least one councilor urging visible, planned investments taxpayers can observe.
The council took public comment on the item and left open the prospect of addressing manager compensation as part of the upcoming budgeting process; the record does not show a final outcome on the proposed freeze or the salary motion.
