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Council discusses amending salary ordinance to limit phone stipend for low-hours employees
Summary
Council reviewed an amendment to the 2026 salary ordinance to make employees who work fewer than three hours a month ineligible for the $40 phone stipend, citing payroll tax effects and administrative timing questions.
Councilors examined a proposed amendment to the 2026 salary ordinance that would prevent hourly employees who work fewer than three hours in a month from receiving the phone stipend.
Chair introduced the ordinance amendment and read the proposed language: employees who work fewer than three hours in a month would not be eligible for the phone stipend because, after taxes (FICA/Medicaid), the stipend could cause an employee to receive less pay. Clerk urged the council to consult the payroll processor about timing and implementation because payroll frequency can complicate how stipends are applied.
Members discussed whether the stipend is paid monthly (Clerk and others said the stipend had been $40/month historically) and how the pay system handles months with five pay periods. The council did not finalize the amendment but directed staff to clarify payroll processing and the practical effects before adoption.
