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Council tables second reading of pay-classification ordinance after concerns about minimums and equity
Summary
At its April meeting Jamestown City Council postponed final action on Ordinance 2025-001, the city's updated pay-classification plan, after members raised concerns that proposed minimum salaries would exceed neighboring towns' top rates and would require selective raises for long-serving employees.
Jamestown 'At the second reading of Ordinance 2025-001 the Jamestown City Council paused action after a lengthy debate over proposed minimum pay rates and the ordinance's 3% progressive pay-grade structure.
Staff member (speaker 3) read the ordinance summary and explained the plan was built from the starting pay of the last employee hired and sets each pay grade to increase by 3% with a 75% minimum-to-maximum ratio. "This ordinance shall become effective for the reading and publication requirements have been met," the staff reading said.
Council members pushed back on several specific minimums. One council member (speaker 5) asked, "Do we need to have that high of a minimum?" and noted that for some classifications Jamestown's proposed minimum would be higher than the maximum in nearby towns. Another member said the public-works director minimum in the draft is $29.50 while Columbia's top is $28.55, calling attention to internal equity problems.
Staff and councilors discussed two broad remedies: increasing the progressive percentage above 3% so existing employees move closer to compliance over time, or keeping the progression while selectively adjusting particular job minima and maxima. Staff cautioned that a 1% progression would not be sufficient to correct current noncompliance.
After extended exchanges about employees who are already at the top of their pay grade and others who would require raises, Chair (speaker 1) moved to table the ordinance to give council and staff additional time to identify which positions need adjustment and to bring back revised numbers. The motion was seconded and the council agreed to postpone action.
Next steps: the council directed staff to prepare targeted options (either an increased progressive percentage or adjusted minima for specific positions) and to return with that analysis at a subsequent meeting. No final vote on Ordinance 2025-001 was taken at the meeting.
