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Ely council approves salary-range increases for city attorney and fire chief; councilor objects to pre-effective pay
Summary
On Oct. 24 the Ely City Council approved Ordinance 759 to increase salary ranges for the City Attorney and Fire Chief; Councilman Jim Alworth argued the Fire Chief received pay increases before the ordinance became effective and cited an estimated $2,884.60 overpayment.
The Ely City Council approved Ordinance 759 on its second reading Oct. 24, increasing the salary ranges for the City Attorney and the City Fire Chief. The motion passed 4–1, with Councilman Jim Alworth dissenting.
Councilman Terrill Trask moved approval and Councilwoman Samantha Elliott seconded. During debate Alworth said the Fire Chief’s pay had been raised earlier following a resolution and that the ordinance had not yet taken effect; he calculated five pay periods at the higher rate and estimated an $2,884.60 overpayment. “We overpaid him and if he was to quit, die, or retire right now before this is passed, we'd overpaid him,” Alworth said, arguing the pay change was premature.
Mayor Nathan Robertson clarified the ordinance increases ranges only and noted the Fire Chief’s pay was previously adjusted by resolution; he also said those positions are not funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. City Attorney Shain Manuele explained the council had passed a resolution expressing intent to increase pay and that the later ordinance codified the range; he said procedural corrections could follow to address any single-word inconsistencies in the resolution.
Public commenter George Chachas opposed the scale of the increase for the Fire Chief and City Attorney and urged fiscal caution and uniform application of personnel policies.
The motion to approve the second reading was approved with four votes in favor and one opposed. Council discussion noted there may be a separate administrative or bookkeeping action needed to address pay already disbursed pending the ordinance’s effective date.
