In January, city employees received 2 percent raises in addition to merit raises, which averaged 2.5 percent. The city’s payroll will go up from $6.9 million to about $7.2 million, or about 4.4 percent, and includes new positions, according to city finance director Kathi Moss.
It was well within the city’s budget to give a 2 percent salary increase to every employee, and it ensures the city continues to offer competitive pay, said City Manager Shane Hale.
“Revenues have been strong and have continued to stay strong citywide,” he said.
The Cortez City Council also approved City Manager Shane Hale’s raise this month.
His salary will increase about 5.5 percent, from $97,290 to $102,709. He received the same 2 percent raise other city employees did and a 3.5 percent merit raise.
His salary is comparable to what other communities of a similar size are paying city managers, said Mayor Karen Sheek. The board found a reasonable range would be from $90,000 to about $112,000.
“There had been a lot of research that went into where we needed to be on this,” she said.
Delta, a town of about 8,900, pays its town manager $105,740. Frederick, also home to about 8,600 people, pays its town manager about $139,983, according to the Colorado Municipal League.
He also received an additional week of vacation and an additional month of severance pay. He would now receive six months of benefits if he were let go, according to city documents.
Sheek said the city council spent a couple of executive sessions discussing the raise before it was unanimously approved.
“We felt that Shane had done an exceptionally good job,” she said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
