(a) The salary administration plan of the City shall be based on the current rate of compensation with consideration being given for pay increases based on one's ability to perform his/her functions, the show of interest, initiative and willingness to cooperate and take orders, along with the length of service of said employee. By handling employee increases in this manner, it is Council's desire, through its employees, to better develop and improve the level of services to the public.
(b) The salary administration plan of the City shall also recognize national and regional inflationary pressures and will seek to maintain the system's effectiveness by annually reviewing and considering the adjustment of salary and hiring rates to reflect cost-of-living changes. By handling employee increases in this manner, it is Council's desire to minimize costs of employee turnover and vacancies and to ensure that hiring rates remain competitive enough to attract employees skilled and talented to better improve the level of services to the public.
(c) A cost of living adjustment to provide for increases in compensation is hereby granted at the rate of 3% for each full-time and each part time, non-represented employee, employee's current rate of pay, effective with the first full pay period after January 1, 2023.
(d) The City Manager will, in the future, approve all increases based on each employee's eligibility, adequate work performance, and absence of performance related suspensions, discipline, or warnings.
(e) All regular full-time and part time, non-represented, employees will be considered for this annual adjustment. Only persons employed at the time the adjustment is administered and increases approved by the City Manager are eligible to receive a wage adjustment.
(f) Council's intent is to regularly review, during the annual budget process, national and regional inflationary pressures and make recommendations for any adjustments to take effect January 1 of the following budget year.
(g) In addition to the cost of living adjustment, an amount not to exceed 3% of payroll is available for distribution to employees that have demonstrated exceptional effort, initiative, performance and success in their duties. The specific amount of an individual increase will be based on evaluations of employee performance, current rate of compensation, inter-department coordination, and City Manager approval.
(h) This merit component will allow the City Manager to make recommendations for salary increases for employees, department heads, and Assistant City Manager. Salary increases for the Law Director, Clerk of Council, City Manager and Prosecutor are to be annually reviewed and approved by separate ordinance of Council.
(i) All newly appointed employees shall work a probationary period up to six months before they are eligible for any increase in pay. After the probationary period, the employee may be advanced depending upon the employee's ability and work effort. If the employee's work is not satisfactory at any time within the probationary period, he or she is not retained as an employee.
(j) There is hereby established a special merit bonus allocation pool of $100,000, to be distributed at the discretion of the City Manager. A special merit bonus is obtained by exceptional effort and/or accomplishments, cost savings suggestions, improved skills, customer service and demonstrated efforts in the City's Wellness Program and further job related education, etc.
(k) The City Manager is authorized to develop and establish a Wellness Program and that said program may include Community Center membership, financial wellness program, gift cards and contributions to employee HSA/HRA accounts as a benefit. The City Manager is hereby authorized to establish all criteria related to the Community Center benefit, including eligibility requirements, which may include memberships being awarded on a case-by-case basis to employees that have demonstrated exceptional effort, initiative, performance or success in their duties, as well as a general effort to enhance wellness. The City Manager shall further be authorized to terminate this membership benefit for any or all employees at any time.
(l) The City Manager is hereby authorized to annually designate employees who serve as part of the Executive Leadership Team and is further authorized to develop a vacation buyback and allocation program for members of the Executive Leadership Team.
(m) The City Manager is hereby authorized to develop an Executive Leadership Benefits package that may be allocated to members of the Leadership Team and City Manager. That package shall include up to $1,000 towards an employee's HSA or other authorized health savings account or Deferred Compensation plan and up to $1,000 for equipment/ technology/office upgrades, professional development and services or additional contributions to benefit accounts.
(n) The City Manager is hereby authorized to develop programs, schedules, positions, salaries, activities, incentives and other tools as deemed necessary to overcome the staffing challenges needed to provide high quality services while supporting Mason's core values for customer service, communication collaboration, cooperation cost savings and compassion.
(Ord. 2002-120, passed 8-26-2002 ; Ord. 2004-138, passed 1-22-2004; Ord. 2004-105, passed 8-9-2004; Ord. 2006-167, passed 11-27-2006; Ord. 2007-149, passed 10-22-2007; Ord. 2008-127, passed 11-24-2008; Ord. 2014-118, passed 11-24-2014; Ord. 2015-125, passed 11-23-2015; Ord. 2018-130, passed 11-12-2018; Ord. 2022-123, passed 12-12-2022)