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Council to vote Wednesday on resolution to keep salaries within approved budget lines
Summary
Council members debated Resolution 2606 at a Jan. 20 workshop. The proposal would bar the administration from shifting savings between budget lines to cover salaries that exceed amounts the council approved; the measure is slated for a vote at the next meeting.
Council members debated a resolution that would prevent the administration from using savings in other budget lines to pay salaries higher than amounts the council approved.
At a Jan. 20 council workshop, a presenter summarized the intent of Resolution 2606: to prohibit the administration from moving money into pay lines to cover hires whose salaries exceed the council-approved amounts. The presenter said department-head and city-manager hires were paid at rates above the approved budget and that continuing to cover those differences from other line items would undermine the council’s budget authority.
The resolution cites two specific budget lines for department heads and the city manager and notes that, for the first six months of the fiscal year, payouts for those positions have already consumed a substantial portion of the approved amounts. “Hiring individuals with salaries over the amount approved by the council was inappropriate,” a council member said while introducing the resolution.
Supporters argued the measure is a necessary protection of the council’s legislative budget authority. One council member said the resolution preserves the council’s role in approving dollar amounts and prevents post‑hoc reshuffling of savings to cover over‑authorized wages.
Opponents and other members asked for up-to-date account numbers and for staff to confirm the exact remaining balances before a final vote. Staff told the council the salary lines show reduced remaining balances for the second half of the year; consultants conducting a compensation and organizational study will report back and the council may consider a budget amendment if the study recommends changes.
No final vote was taken at the workshop; the resolution was placed on the agenda for the next regular meeting. The council’s options ahead include adopting Resolution 2606 as written, approving a narrower amendment, or postponing action after receiving the compensation-study results and updated budget figures.
The council plans to vote on the resolution at its next meeting. If adopted, the measure would require staff to keep salary payments within the specific account totals the council approved, rather than covering shortfalls from unrelated savings elsewhere in the budget.
