Little Rock's city manager and city attorney received positive reviews from the Little Rock Board of Directors on Tuesday, but the board did not grant pay increases because of budgetary constraints.
After a nearly two-hour executive session of the board interviewing the two executives, Mayor Mark Stodola announced the positive reviews.
"Let me just say that we had a very fruitful and positive discussion with both Bruce Moore, our city manager, and Tom Carpenter, our city attorney," Stodola said. "I think collectively the board believes they've done a very, very good job representing us in their respective responsibility."
Stodola noted that the board's decisions not to give Moore or Carpenter pay raises was "consistent with the way we dealt with the issue previously" when there were budget concerns. Typically, executives and department heads don't get salary increases when funding is low.
When approving the 2015 budget in December, the board voted to give other city employees one-time bonuses in lieu of raises.
The board approved the bonuses with the caveat that the issue would be revisited midyear to see whether it is possible to give employees a second bonus to make up for the lack of a pay raise.
Moore said Tuesday that he plans to make a board presentation about bonuses July 14.
The city spent $1,497,750 on the first bonuses for every employee except Moore, the assistant city manager, department heads and assistant department heads. Some of the funding came from the city's reserve fund, while most of it was sales tax revenue.
The bonuses favored lower-salaried employees. Those making less than $40,000 received a $1,000 bonus. Employees making $40,001 to $60,000 were given a $750 bonus, and anyone making above that received $500.
Moore's base salary is $181,896. He's the fifth-highest-paid city employee, after the airport executive director, two Central Arkansas Water Executives, and the Little Rock Wastewater chief.
Carpenter makes $143,218. He is the 16th-highest-paid city employee. Above him are judges, the Metropolitan Emergency Management Service executive director, airport executives, Little Rock Wastewater administrators, Central Arkansas Water employees and the city manager.
The highest-paid city employee is Ron Mathieu, executive director of Bill and Hillary National Airport/Adams Field, whose salary is $209,633.84.
Metro on 07/01/2015