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.
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.