City manager evaluation leads to 11.9 percent raise
Following what it termed a successful evaluation, the Sweet Home City Council approved an 11.9 percent raise for City Manager Craig Martin at its regular meeting on July 24.
The raise reflects a 5 percent step increase plus a 6.6 cost-of-living adjustment and adjustment in relation to other city employees based on council action last year in an attempt to keep different posts within the city at the same relative level each year. The raise places Martin at the third step of his salary schedule.
That council action resulted from a situation in the Sweet Home Police Department where an employee was making more than the employee’s supervisor.
The council set specific percentage levels to be maintained between employees’, various supervisors’ and department heads’ salaries to ensure this did not occur again, Martin said. That has taken place over the last couple of budget years, and salary increases should not be as sharp in the future for management.
“We’re very happy with his performance,” Mayor Craig Fentiman said of Martin. “The last year’s been rough on all of us, but I think he’s held up really well, basically done a good job.”
Any negatives over the past year, that are “over and done with,” Mayor Fentiman said, though everything needs to be used in evaluation.
“His strengths are carrying out the directions of the council … as a whole, not individually,” Mayor Fentiman said. “I think he’d doing everything that we ask of him. We’re getting information on time, and we’re getting accurate information. The council seemed to feel that his knowledge base is growing,” although things change in city management all the time.
Raises this year for other city officials include the promotion of City Planner Carol Lewis to Community Development Director for the newly formed Community Development Department. The new department combines planning and building functions and both will be available at City Hall as the building official moves from Public Works on Ninth Avenue.
Lewis received an increase in pay, as planner, from $37,548 to $45,048 at the first salary step for her new position.
Police Chief Bob Burford moved from $62,784 to $65,292 at the fifth step of his salary schedule.
Library Director Leona McCann, a 30-hour department head, moved from $26,808 to $27,624 at the fifth step.
Finance Director Pat Gray moved from $48,948 to $54,756 at the fifth step.
Public Works Director Mike Adams moved from $51,396 to $54,756 and reached the fifth step of his salary schedule.