Newcastle council rejects proposal to increase city manager raise from 3% to 5%

A motion to increase City Manager Scott Pingel’s upcoming pay adjustment from the planned 3% to 5% failed 3-4 during the Aug. 18 Newcastle City Council meeting.

Council member Sherlock moved to raise Pingel’s 3% increase to 5%, citing the manager’s performance reviews and efforts to improve efficiency and reduce expenses. The motion was seconded and then discussed by multiple council members.

“Scott is clearly well respected among our staff,” one council member said during debate, praising Pingel’s cost-saving measures and staff engagement. Supporters argued an extra 2 percentage points would better align Pingel’s pay with peers in comparable cities; opponents said the council should wait until the budget season to evaluate overall fiscal conditions.

Clarifying numbers discussed during the debate: one council member referenced an existing salary figure of about $209,000 and said the planned 3% adjustment would raise that figure to roughly $215,000; the proposed 5% adjustment would add about $4,000 more per year above the 3% raise.

The chair called the question after discussion. The motion failed 3-4; no amendment or substitute motion was adopted.

Ending: Council members said the vote did not reflect criticisms of Pingel’s work but rather fiscal caution pending the upcoming budget process; no pay change beyond the planned 3% increase was adopted at the Aug. 18 meeting.