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Council approves contested pay increase for city manager after debate
Summary
After extended discussion about competitiveness and future hiring, the Manchester City Council approved a city manager pay increase (council debated 6% vs. 7.4%); the motion for a 7.4% raise passed by majority. Several councilors argued the raise is necessary for future recruitment and retention.
Manchester — The City Council approved a raise for City Manager Tim Deck after extended debate over the size of the increase and its implications for future hiring and the city’s wage structure.
During discussion of Resolution 60, council members debated whether to set the city manager’s increase at 6% or 7.4%. Supporters said a larger increase would keep Manchester competitive with neighboring municipalities and help the city attract a qualified successor when the current manager retires; opponents said the increase was too large and pressured city finances.
A motion proposing a 7.4% increase was moved and seconded during the meeting. Council members recorded votes during the motion’s conclusion: Bill (yes), Maryanne (yes), Linda (no), Brian (yes), Joe (yes). The motion passed with a majority; the transcript records the council approving the proposed increase and clarifying that the raise would replace — not stack on top of — the standard 3% annual adjustment the manager had typically received.
The council also discussed broader compensation studies, wage matrices and the potential need to examine department-wide pay to avoid future recruitment gaps. Members asked staff to continue pursuing a wage study and to consider the long-term budgetary effects of raises on utility rates and other city costs.
The motion’s exact bi-weekly dollar figure in the transcript was recorded unclearly; the enacted action on the record is the percentage increase (7.4%) approved by the council.
