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Airway Heights council passes salary-ordinance updates and authorizes reorganization hiring
Summary
Council suspended the rules and approved updates to the 2026 salary ordinance on first reading, adding previously approved positions and new roles (accountant, recreation manager, public records staff) and enabling recruitment intended to achieve cost savings through reorganization and shared duties.
The Airway Heights City Council voted unanimously June 15 to approve updates to the 2026 salary ordinance and to suspend the usual waiting period so the city can begin recruitment immediately.
Staff presented changes that reinsert three positions approved in 2025 and add new positions to the 2026 ordinance: an Accountant (levels I'III options noted), a Recreation Center and Programs Manager, a Public Records Manager and a Public Records Analyst. Staff said the positions are budgeted using salary savings from existing vacancies and that the reorganization will shift some park maintenance duties to Public Works.
Councilors pressed staff on whether workload would spread staff too thin and requested clearer public communication about hiring amid a reported budget shortfall. City Manager Tripp said the changes aim to reduce overall operating costs by sharing resources and avoiding duplicate equipment purchases, and said some salary savings would fund an HR specialist to manage workload.
After discussion, council moved to suspend the rules to pass the ordinance on first reading and then voted to approve the updated salary ordinance unanimously. Staff said the change allows recruitment to begin immediately to capture anticipated cost savings.
No individual salaries or full-line budget numbers were read into the record during the meeting; staff said positions are budgeted using salary savings from vacancies.
