Clarksburg council hears second reading on municipal pay ordinance; effective date set for Aug. 15

City of Clarksburg council members held a second and final reading on an ordinance establishing salaries and compensation for municipal officers and employees during their meeting.

The ordinance would set a pay increase that, according to staff, takes effect on Aug. 15, with retroactive pay to July. A council member asked whether the increase would be effective immediately and how the retroactive payment would be handled for payroll-tax withholding; a staff member responded, “Yes. The fifteenth. And there’ll also be back pay to the July.” The staff member said payroll would be divided across the city’s pay periods and that the city would “check into” whether separate checks were needed to address tax implications.

The discussion focused on timing and payroll mechanics rather than changes to salary levels. The public hearing portion of the ordinance was closed during the meeting; no formal roll-call vote on final adoption is recorded in the provided transcript.

Discussion-only items: council questions about the tax impact of retroactive pay and a request that payroll staff consider issuing separate checks if withholding created an unintended tax burden for employees.

Directions: city staff indicated they would “check into” the tax implications and whether separate checks should be issued; no staff report with a firm determination is included in the transcript.

Formal action: the transcript shows the public hearing closed and discussion occurring but does not record a final vote on the ordinance in the provided excerpt.

Why it matters: changes to municipal pay affect payroll budgets and employee take-home pay and may require adjustments to the finance department’s schedule and tax withholding procedures.

Looking ahead: councilmembers asked staff to confirm withholding treatment and payroll procedures before final disbursement; the transcript does not show whether that follow-up was later reported to council.