Council adopts ordinance updating wages and adds permanent payroll clerk position

The Amber City Council voted unanimously on March 9 to adopt an ordinance updating wage rates, benefits and employment terms for certain full‑time, non‑bargaining employees and to add a permanent part‑time payroll clerk/budget assistant to the ordinance’s operative language.

Clerk read the ordinance amending City of Amherst ordinance O2540 to set the wage and benefit framework for the specified positions. During discussion, a council member asked whether human resources responsibilities would be part of the new position, and the mayor said the offices would “share the responsibilities” and that recruiting needed to begin quickly: “I would like to request that so we can get recruiting for the position,” the mayor said. Finance Committee Chair Dimbinski proposed an amendment to move the payroll clerk/budget assistant from explanatory (whereas) language into the therefore (action) section so the position would be formally established; Dimbinski said the change was intended to make the action official.

The amendment carried 7–0 on roll call and the council then adopted the ordinance 7–0. Clerk recorded the adopted measure as Ordinance O2608. Council members discussed that job descriptions will be adjusted as responsibilities evolve and that some HR tasks may remain split between the mayor’s office and the auditor’s office.

What’s next: the council directed staff to begin recruitment and to incorporate the agreed responsibilities into the job posting and description.