Madam Chair and the city administration presented a mayoral pay-and-equipment package the council will review ahead of the December budget deadline. The administration said the core of the proposal is a 3% cost-of-living increase for city employees effective April 1, a doubling of the public-safety uniform allowance from $400 to $800, and targeted adjustments following an ongoing salary survey.

Mister Dart, speaking for the administration, said the aim was to find a solution that covers 'all means all' city employees rather than favoring a single department: 'If they're going to be pay increases for city employees next year, they're going to be for everyone.' He told the council the administration had identified roughly $4.4 million to start and offered to continue working with council members on funding options, including redirected Riverfront funds, remaining ARP funds and additional oil-and-gas revenue.

Councilman Butcher raised a separate, police-specific 10% increase that had been discussed by union representatives and questioned the cost estimates on the fact sheet. He said, 'A 10% pay increase to SPD officers would cost $5,200,000, not the 3,189,000.000 listed on the legislation fact sheet,' and urged that any pay plan include other city employees. Administration representatives said their figures were based on an annualized payroll calculation and that some job classes (jailers, PCOs, vehicle technicians) may not have been counted in one document.

Council members discussed alternatives — a one-time cost-of-living adjustment versus incremental merit raises, policies to move the minimum toward $15 an hour for lower-paid positions (the administration identified 98 employees making under $15), and the timing for amendments. The council chair reminded members that formal budget amendments are due by Dec. 8 and that the council expects possible special meetings ahead of final adoption by Dec. 15.

The administration also outlined an equipment package the council may fund over time: 60 police cars, four medic units, a tanker truck for the fire department, and eight garbage trucks among other items. Officials said the city is managing existing debt service to avoid a future budget shock.

Next steps: the mayor's package is on the council's agenda for review; council members said they will work with administration staff to refine cost estimates and potential funding sources before any formal vote.