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North Beach council approves 2.5% cost-of-living increase for town staff
Summary
After rejecting a 3.1% proposal, the North Beach Town Council approved a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for municipal employees on March 12, 2026, in a 5–1 roll-call vote; councilors debated whether a higher increase was financially justified.
The North Beach Town Council approved a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for town staff on March 12, 2026, after the council rejected a 3.1% proposal earlier in the meeting.
The 3.1% COLA motion was moved and seconded and saw council debate over the appropriate benchmark for raises. “Basic human decency?” said one council member in defense of a larger increase, and another urged spending priorities be reviewed, noting that “if we can spend $176,000 on flower box replacements, we can give the staff of this town a 3.1 cost of living adjustment.” The 3.1% option failed on a roll call vote (two in favor, four opposed).
Council then considered a 2.5% alternative. The motion carried on roll call with five yes votes and one no, approving the smaller COLA for staff. The mayor directed staff to schedule implementation with the town administrator, and the council signaled the adjustment will be folded into the upcoming budget process.
Supporters of a larger increase argued staff salaries lag market levels and that modest increases would help retention. Opponents questioned whether the 3.1% figure had a clear outside benchmark and noted the town should balance raises with other near-term budget pressures.
The council recorded the roll-call tallies on the record. The 2.5% COLA will be implemented per administrative direction; staff will place scheduling and accounting steps on the next administrative to-do list for budget execution.
The council moved on to other agenda items after the vote.
