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Public polling shows support for employee pay increases and $15 minimum wage; priorities favor schools and basic services
Summary
City polling of 1,195 participants found strong resident support for a 7% pay increase for city employees, 47% support for raising the local minimum wage from $13 to $15, and top priorities for new spending including Human Services, traffic and parks maintenance; the manager's recommended budget will be released April 15 with hearings in late April and early May.
Marketing Development Manager Jacia Scott summarized the city's public budget polling and community conversations, saying the process drew 1,195 participants across online and in-person outreach and a Facebook Live session. "So we had a total involvement of 11 95 participants," Scott said, and she described outreach formats and engagement metrics for the abbreviated polling window.
Scott highlighted resident priorities: broad support for competitive wage increases for staff (strong support for a 7% increase), and 47% of respondents supported raising the city's minimum wage from $13 to $15 per hour. The public also ranked priorities for new staff and spending — top new-staff requests included Human Services, Traffic Division and Parks/Recreation; top spending priorities included school flashing signs, wastewater maintenance, and pavement-marking replacement. Scott said the manager's recommended budget would be released April 15 followed by public hearings on April 26 and May 3 and a final vote on May 10.
