Danville council forms small committee to review certification pay; delays larger salary changes to budget season

The Danville Town Council agreed to form a small committee to review certification pay and related salary‑ordinance language instead of approving major mid‑year salary adjustments.

Council members said that broader salary revisions are usually handled during budget season and that mid‑year changes could prompt similar requests from other departments. A council member recommended a committee composed of Mark, Carrie and a utilities liaison to refine job titles, certification tiers and payment structure; another councilmember asked that the assistant town manager be appointed to the committee to ensure adequate staffing resources.

Members discussed whether certification pay should be hourly, stacked, or separate and noted concerns that certification pay could create situations where non‑department heads earned more than department heads. Councilmembers said the committee should determine appropriate dollar amounts and a consistent structure and bring recommendations back during the budget process.

Cell phone stipends were debated alongside the salary discussion: some council members and a public‑safety representative supported higher stipends for fire administrative staff and chiefs because they need priority wireless service in emergencies; others said the stipend appears inequitable and should be revisited with the budget.

Next steps: The small committee will meet to refine recommendations; larger salary changes were deferred to the upcoming budget season.