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Council debates making citizen-satisfaction bonus recurring and restoring departmental savings
Summary
Staff proposed funding the city—s year-end citizen-satisfaction bonus from recurring budget revenue so departmental year-end savings could be returned to departments; debate focused on whether that recurring funding should be used exclusively for bonuses or to free departmental discretionary funds.
Staff explained the long-running departmental-savings program and how, after the recession, those year-end savings were used to fund a citywide citizen-satisfaction bonus. Staff proposed establishing recurring budget funding (about $865,000 estimated) to pay the bonus so departments could again receive their year-end savings for discretionary, one-time investments.
"If we want to give the $250 bonus prorated about how well we do on the citizen satisfaction rating, it costs us $865,000," a staff presenter said, explaining the recurring-cost estimate. Council members debated whether the proposed budget change should strictly dedicate the recurring line to employee bonuses or allow the money to be used for department discretionary needs.
Some council members argued the departmental-savings mechanism is an important local tool that incentivizes efficiency and funds local improvements, while others said uncoupling the bonus from savings and making the bonus a recurring line would be acceptable if clearly explained to the public. Council polled and provisionally ranked the recurring-bonus and merit-bonus proposals as tier 1 items for further refinement in the budget process.
Staff will return with proposal language and details on how recurring funding would be accounted for alongside the merit and departmental-savings programs.
