Austin City Council OKs compensation, benefits for four employees

Mayor pro tem Sheryl Cole thanked the four employees for their service to the city.

“There are major city employees that report directly to us,” she said. “We have evaluated their performance in executive session and found them all quite satisfactory.”

The city clerk, auditor and manager will not see an automatic increase in their salaries, but could see a raise if the 2012–13 budget approved by the City Council includes an annual base pay adjustment for non-civil service employees. City manager Marc Ott was approved an annual salary of $249,268.24 along with an executive allowance equivalent to $7,200 and automobile allowance equivalent to $8,400. City Clerk Shirley Gentry was approved an annual salary of $126,525.46 along with participation in the city's Employee Retirement System. City Auditor Kenneth Mory was approved an annual salary of $138,409.85 along with participation in the ERS.

Any adjustments to salaries or benefits would take effect as early as the first period of the next fiscal year, Oct. 1.

Municipal Court clerk Rebecca Stark will see a 5 percent salary increase after the council approved an ordinance bringing her salary to $118,525.68 a year. The ordinance that was approved by council will take effect Sept. 23.

“The reason for this difference in the treatment in the municipal court clerk's compensation is to bring that salary closer to the market rate,” Mayor Lee Leffingwell said. “The other (salaries) are already at, or very near, their market rate.”

The increase was based on salary reviews conducted by city staff, according to Leffingwell. The municipal court clerk's previous salary was $112,867.87 a year.

“From my personal perspective, all of these employees deserve more,” Leffingwell said. “But as we know, we live in a difficult time. Balancing our budget this year, as it has been for the last several years, has been very difficult. We wanted to do as much as we possibly could for all of these employees, and that's what this ordinance and these resolutions reflect.”