Albany City Commission votes to move forward with board pay increase

The Albany Herald, Ga.
·2 min read

Oct. 26—ALBANY — The Albany City Commission met for its regular meeting Tuesday evening. Below are some of the items that were voted on:

—Purchase of GPS Tracking Units: The purchase of 357 vehicle tracking units for city vehicles and 188 non-powered equipment trackers for city equipment from Verizon Connect. The units will be used for asset tracking by the Fleet Department. This purchase will include the tracking units, professional installation, monthly service fees, and 128 gigabits of memory upgrade for a monthly charge of $8,447.75, which comes out to an annual total of $101,373.

— The Commission passed the purchase in a unanimous vote.

—Purchase of eight Ford Police Interceptors: These units will be used by the Albany Police Department and will be replacing units that are 7-14 years old. The new Ford Police Interceptors will be replacing units on the approved FY23 replacement list.

— The Commission passed the purchase in a unanimous vote.

—Salary adjustment for the Mayor and City Commissioners: The Commission considered two options for addressing their salaries as members of the Albany Board of Commissioners. Option 1: Take no action. Option 2: Consider raising the mayor's salary to $35,000 (from $25,000) and the salary paid to city commissioners to $22,800 (from $15,000). This would be consistent with the increases for commissioners approved in 2007, which resulted in a pay increase of $7,800.

— The Commission voted to move forward with Option 2 and will have a second reading before voting on changing the Albany Charter.

—Pay Study Incentives: During the recent commission retreat, the inconsistencies of the recently completed pay study were discussed. As it would take at least six months to complete a new pay study, staff has developed alternative ways to address compensation for city employees. This item requires an ordinance to amend the FY 2023 budget in the amount of $1,320,761.

— The Commission passed the amendment in a unanimous vote.

—Allowing the Board of Commissioners to participate in the Albany Defined Contribution Plan: Amending the Defined Contribution Plan for senior management employees of the city of Albany to include the mayor and commissioners as eligible employees; further authorizing a budget amendment. If adopted, a budget amendment is required in the amount of $74,070.00.

— The Commission passed the amendment in a 6-1 vote.

To watch the entire meeting, citizens can visit https://www.albanyga.gov/meetings.