Pleasant Valley aldermen approve paired retention award and 2025 budget amendment; adopt 2026 budget

The Pleasant Valley Board of Aldermen voted to approve a one‑time employee retention award and to amend the 2025 budget to fund the payment, and later adopted the 2026 budget, during their Nov. 17, 2025 meeting.

A council member moved the board should consider Resolution 2025‑11‑17‑02 (the retention award) and Council Bill 36‑24 (the budget amendment) together because “if the budget doesn't get changed, but we approve the action, it has no funding,” the member said. The resolution text as read by the clerk describes the award as “point 65% of annual salary excluding overtime for full‑time employees” and “0.65 of year‑to‑date earnings for part‑time employees,” and limits eligibility to employees “actively working for the city on 12/01/2025.”

Why it matters: council members said the pairing was procedural — the ordinance amending the annual budget is required to appropriate funds for the retention award. The board emphasized the two measures must be considered together so that the award would have budget authority if the action passes.

Discussion and votes: during discussion a council member explained that the exhibit to the ordinance shows line‑by‑line budget impacts and that the proposed retention rate (referred to in discussion as “point 65%”) would be captured in the amended 2025 budget. After discussion the board approved Resolution 2025‑11‑17‑02 and moved Council Bill 36‑24 for its second reading. Roll call recorded affirmative votes from the aldermen present.

Other related actions: the board also read and approved ordinances amending the city code on jailing of defendants, and amending the employee salary step plan schedule. At the end of the meeting the board held a second reading and adopted the ordinance that approves the 2026 fiscal year budget and authorizes the mayor to make appropriations within that approved budget.

Quotation highlights: a council member summarized the pairing rationale: “So the bill is or the budget is approved on an ordinance ... the 2025 budget is being adjusted to account for that increase,” and added that the retention award will apply only to employees active on Dec. 1, 2025.

Next steps: Council Bill 36‑24 was advanced for a second reading and the board completed the second reading for the 2026 budget, which was adopted and authorizes the mayor to execute appropriations consistent with the approved budget. The resolution language and the ordinance text specify the retention award mechanics; the precise numeric interpretation of the phrase “point 65%” in the resolution was not clarified on the record and may require confirmation from city staff or from the ordinance text on the municipal docket.

Ending: The meeting concluded after routine departmental reports and acknowledgements.