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2026-128 · POLICY · BUDGET · 2026

Ordinance Relative to City Clerk Compensation and Annual Review

This ordinance creates a formal process for setting the City Clerk’s pay, establishes an annual performance review, and ties potential increases to market comparisons and a city-wide COLA. It also notes the current base salary and requires budget alignment.

submitted CITYWIDE
  1. STEP 1 · CURRENT
    Submitted
    SEP 08 2026
  2. STEP 2
    Approved
AI summary · plain-language

The City of Amesbury establishes a formal process for the compensation and annual review of the City Clerk. The City Council will set and adjust the City Clerk/Clerk to the City Council's compensation, with the salary established by ordinance and subject to annual budget appropriations. Beginning with the first fiscal year after this ordinance takes effect, the City Clerk may receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment equal to the non-union employee COLA, applied to the base salary. An Ad Hoc three-member City Council committee will conduct an annual performance and compensation review, considering duties, performance, changes in responsibilities, market comparisons, cost-of-living, and fiscal conditions, and will report its findings to the City Council. After the review, the Council may approve a salary increase based on market comparisons, in addition to the COLA, subject to budget constraints. Salary adjustments generally become effective July 1 unless otherwise specified by the Council. The current base salary is $100,000 and does not include stipends.

Generated by an LLM. Not legal text. Read the official ordinance for binding language.

Key provisions

§1 City Council shall establish and adjust the City Clerk/Clerk to the City Council compensation.
§2 Annual COLA for City Clerk equals the non-union City of Amesbury COLA.
§3 An Ad Hoc three-member City Council committee shall conduct an annual performance and compensation review.
§4 After review, Council may approve a salary increase based on market comparisons, in addition to COLA.

Discussed at meetings

City CouncilCity Council Standing Committee of the Whole MeetingSeptember 15, 2026
continue2026-128
Continue consideration of Bill 2026-128 (City Clerk Salary Ordinance) to the next regularly scheduled Standing Committee of the Whole (third Tuesday of October at 6:00 p.m.).
MOVED BY COUNCILLOR STANCANELLI · SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR SULLIVAN · VOTE: APPROVED 7-0
1:20:20
2026-1282026-128 City Clerk Salary Ordinance
City Council**AMENDED** City Council MeetingSeptember 8, 2026
refer2026-128
Refer 2026-128 (City Clerk Salary Ordinance) to the Committee of the Whole scheduled for September 15.
MOVED BY COUNCILLOR STANGINELLI · SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HAGSTROM · VOTE: APPROVED (UNANIMOUS)
1:39:38
2026-1282026-128 City Clerk Salary Ordinance