Council advances compensation ordinance for first reading after staff Q&A

Nibley — The City Council gave first-reading approval to Ordinance 26-07 on May 28 after a detailed staff presentation and council questions about measurement and taxpayer optics.

Justin Mahal (city staff) explained the structure: the proposed ranges were developed from a market study and set maximums as a percent above defined midpoints ("the max would be a 155 for that position"), with a policy goal of moving employees toward the midpoint over a roughly five-year window. Mahal said the plan includes both a COLA and a targeted pay-for-performance component and that the ordinance does not guarantee specific pay increases for every employee — rather it sets maximum allowable pay ranges and budget parameters.

Council members asked how performance would be measured and whether the program would increase taxes; Mahal described quarterly supervisory conversations called "core culture conversations" and annual performance reviews that inform merit components. Mayor (presiding) noted private industry differences and emphasized the council’s responsibility to weigh taxpayer impact; one council member expressed concern about optics while another highlighted the cost of turnover.

The ordinance was advanced on first reading (voice vote recorded in the meeting as 3 in favor, 1 opposed). Staff said the details of pay increases (actual COLA or merit awards for individual positions) would follow standard personnel procedures and budget availability.

Next steps: the ordinance proceeds through the required subsequent readings and formal adoption steps; staff will continue to clarify implementation details and measurement processes.