2. Salaries/Municipal Judge and Council MembersREPORT TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
City of Kalis
Post Office Box 1997 • Kalispell, Montana 59903-1997 • Telephone (406) 758-7700 • FAX (406) 758-7758
Honorable Mayor and City Council
Chris A. Kukulski, City Manager
Mayor and Council Salaries
MEETING DATE: December 11, 2000
BACKGROUND: As all of you are probably aware, 2001 is an election year for the Mayor and
four of the Council Members. There has been some interest in the past about changing the Council
salaries and this would be a good time to discuss it. Anyone interested in serving on the Council can
file starting April 27th and pay a filing fee equal to 1 % of the annual salary. If the Council desires
to change the salary amount, it should be done soon. A survey of salaries from other Montana cities
with City Managers are as follows:
Qiy- Mayor Salary
Billings (Charter) $9,600/yr + $3,000/yr exp.
Helena (Charter) $7,800/yr + $3,000/yr exp.
Great Falls (Charter) no response
Bozeman ** $7,650/yr + $900/yr exp.
Lewistown no mayor
Columbia Falls $4,800/yr
Whitefish (Charter) $0
Kalispell $9,000/yr
Couneil/Commission Salary
$7,200/yr + $1,500/yr exp.
$6,600/yr + $1,500/yr exp.
$5,100/yr + $600/yr exp.
$0
$2,400/yr
$0
$5,000/yr
**Please note that Bozeman also pays health benefits for Council members if they so desire.
Respectively submitted,
Chris A. Kukulski
City Manager
Report compiled December 5, 2000
POINT TO: Mayor and City Council
r
FROM: Judge Heidi Ulbricht
SUBJECT: Salary and yearly adjustment
MEETING DATE: December 11, 2000
BACKGROUND: In January 1997 the Kalispell City Court was converted to
Kalispell Municipal Court requiring the Judge to be an attorney. Further, Kalispell City
Ordinance § 2-61 mandates the Judge to be full time and shall not be employed outside
the Court. Prior to the conversion I was given a Long's survey and my salary was
established at $40,000. It was my understanding this would be the salary for the
remainder of the tenn of office, ending December 2001.
I am requesting City Council set the Municipal Judge's salary for the term beginning
January 1, 2002 at $48,000. 1 am making this request early because the opening for
election filing is April 30, 2001. It will be necessary for the Council to establish the
salary so as the election department can charge the proper filing fee.
The Judge's salary should be included when the City provides for yearly cost of living
adjustments. I have checked with the other Municipal Judges (Billings, Bozeman, Great
Falls and Missoula) and all the cities with the exception of Bozeman provide cost of
living increases for the Judges.
All full time employees of the City of Kalispell, with the exception of the City Attorney,
receive yearly salary increases. The Judge's position should not be exempted from this
procedure because City ordinance requires the job to be full time. It is evident from
looking at the department head salaries for the City of Kalispell there is a huge disparity
between the Judge and the other department heads. The Judge's salary needs to remain
competitive with the other Municipal Court Judges and department heads in order to
attract viable candidates for the position.
9
Fiscal 2000
COLA/MERIT
Billings
$60.000
Yes
Bozeman
$43,000
No
Great Falls
$55,000
Yes
Kalispell
$40,000
No
Missoula
$50,000
Yes
6IMS 0111 11111 11
FISCAL 1997
FISCAL 2000
COLA/MERIT
City Attorney
$48,826
$52,048
No
Finance
$45,871
$51,421
Yes
Judge
$40,000
$40,000
No
Public Works
$49,680
$55,836
Yes
Police Chief
$51,754
$52,762
Yes
Fire Chief
$51,374
$56,954
Yes
Parks Dir.
$41,293
$46,699
Yes
Comm. Dev.
$50,651
$47,664
Yes
RECOMMENDATION: Passage of salary ordinance and yearly salary adjustments.
FISCAL EFFECTS: Unknown.
iai U I bricht
Municipal Judge
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