City Council News
Council approves 4 percent pay increase for City staff
The Sierra Vista City Council approved a mid-year 4 percent increase to compensation for City staff at its meeting on Thursday to help keep pace with comparable cities in Arizona.
The increase will take effect on Feb. 28 and will be reflected on the March 18 payroll. It applies to both full time and part time City staff.
Chief Human Resources Officer Barbara Fleming said that preliminary information received as part of an annual market comparison with similar cities in Arizona shows that the City of Sierra Vista’s salaries have fallen about 5 percent behind on average. As a result, staff recommended doing a mid-year market shift now and then consider an additional increase as part of the budget for the new fiscal year starting July 1.
Fleming said many cities have indicated they are preparing for additional wage increases in the upcoming fiscal year amid a highly competitive market for employees. The City will have more information on how it compares in the coming months as the budget process for all Arizona cities moves forward.
City Council Member Gregory Johnson motioned to amend the recommended increase from 2 percent to 4 percent. The City Council unanimously approved the motion and adopted the resolution as amended. The increase does not impact pay for council members. Council members agreed that it is important to do more now to ensure employees stay with the City and keep the City’s compensation rates competitive with its peers.
The City Council received a mid-year briefing on the budget during this week’s work session on Tuesday. The report detailed how revenues are significantly ahead of budget and expenditures are below budget, which puts the City in a favorable position to make a mid-year adjustment to the compensation plan.