Jacksonville council approves new pay ranges, exempts senior positions and adopts procurement policy

The Jacksonville City Council voted unanimously to rescind the current FY2026 pay scale adopted Sept. 22, 2025, and to approve new initial pay ranges for city positions to be effective Aug. 1, 2026. The change was announced as an amendment to the main agenda and passed after a motion and second.

Council also approved a set of personnel classification and hiring actions. The council voted to place numerous senior positions into exempt status effective July 29, 2026; the list named positions including city clerk, court clerk, executive assistant, finance manager/treasurer, fire chief, human-resources director, library director, parks and recreation superintendent, planning and building director, police chief and assistant police chief, public information officer, street and sanitation superintendent, utility office supervisor, and water/gas/sewer manager. Item 17a, the new job description for the City Clerk Treasurer, was approved by unanimous vote.

The council approved employment and promotion items listed on the agenda: hire of Chase Jackson Jennings as utility maintenance assistant (Range 10) effective upon compliance with Ordinance 273; hire of Noah Michael Tidmore as part-time public-safety communications officer (Range 12) effective upon compliance with Ordinance 273; promotion of Joseph Paul Hunt to Wastewater Operator 3 / Water Operator 2 (Range 15) effective July 15, 2026; and acceptance of resignations from Corey Henderson (laborer, effective June 23, 2026) and Joshua Calderon (police officer, investigations, effective July 6, 2026). These personnel motions carried unanimously.

Council also approved several administrative measures on the consent agenda, including acceptance of a bid report and a resolution to reject bid 26-09 for a tube-mounted screw pump system (Resolution R-2321-26), approval of JPWP #26-151 to replace broken chlorine scales at Germania Springs, authorization for the mayor to sign participation agreements with the Municipal Workers' Compensation Fund on behalf of city employees and the Water Works, Gas and Sewer Board, adoption of the City of Jacksonville Federal Procurement Policy and Procedures, and payment of $8,055 to Mark Burns Architecture for unfinished construction on JPWP #24-123 (Eastwood Safe Room). All motions listed were approved without recorded opposition.

None of these items produced extended debate in the meeting record; votes were recorded as carried or unanimously approved. Several council members offered brief acknowledgments and procedural clarifications, and the chair noted motions and called for votes. The council adjourned following routine reports and community announcements.