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Marietta council weighs BLW board pay increase and a one‑time bonus as mayor signals possible line‑item veto
Summary
City councilors debated a proposal from the Board of Lights & Water to raise member pay from $350 to $500 and to add a one‑time 1% bonus for BLW employees, with staff estimating a $165,000 cost and citywide parity for the same incentive projected at about $418,000. The council agreed to advance the items to Wednesday’s agenda amid objections and a mayoral veto threat.
Marietta’s City Council reviewed a Board of Lights & Water (BLW) proposal to increase board member compensation and to add a one‑time 1% bonus for BLW employees during a work session. The BLW asked the council to approve raising board pay from $350 to $500 and to include a one‑time bonus estimated at about $165,000 for BLW staff; placing the same 1% retention incentive citywide was estimated by staff at roughly $418,000.
The budget and rate committee’s recommendation prompted questions from several councilors about precedent and fairness. “I don’t see how we do it for one segment of our set of employees and not the other,” said Councilmember (speaker 8), arguing that any retention incentive ought be considered across all city employees. Staff’s labor counsel (speaker 13) said targeted payments would need to be framed as a retention incentive with specific eligibility criteria rather than labeled a bonus.
City finance staff explained the BLW supplemental costs and how recent market factors have affected power and water revenues. Presenter (speaker 11) and BLW representatives described increased power supplemental costs and higher wholesale water purchases tied to drought conditions, which have driven cost‑of‑sales increases and placed pressure on reserves.
Mayor (speaker 1) said the BLW’s request should have followed the established committee process and flagged the mayoral charter authority, suggesting he could use a line‑item veto on the three increases if necessary. Council discussed the veto mechanics and the potential need for a five‑member override under Charter section 2.11. Several council members proposed either sending the compensation request back to a personnel committee for review of all board pay or placing the BLW items on Wednesday’s consent agenda while preserving council discretion.
The council reached a consensus to move the BLW budget items forward to Wednesday for final action, while several members recorded objections and asked staff to clarify funding sources and long‑term sustainability. The BLW’s request to increase board pay and the one‑time bonus will appear on the upcoming council agenda; the mayor may exercise a line‑item veto on portions of the measure if adopted.
What happens next: The items will be on Wednesday’s council agenda. If the mayor vetoes line items, the council could attempt an override, which by charter requires five affirmative votes.
