Roy council delays merit raises for city manager and department heads to Nov. 17
The 5-0 vote came after residents criticized taxes and spending at the Oct. 20 meeting. The ordinance would allow raises of up to 2.5% for most executives and up to 3.75% for police and fire chiefs.
Based on reporting by Roy City. Read the original story →
The Roy City Council voted 5-0 on Oct. 20 to table Ordinance 26-15, which would enact merit pay increases for the city's elected, statutory and executive officers, and moved the item to its Nov. 17 meeting. Council Member Bryon Saxton made the motion, saying the council needed to better understand the numbers. [1][2]
Utah Code 10-3-818, added by Senate Bill 91 in 2024, requires a city to hold a separate public hearing before raising pay for those positions. City Manager Matt Andrews said Roy held the hearing with its budget in June the past two years but held off this year because staff did not know what money was available. [1][2]
Andrews said the only raise funded in the budget was a merit increase, that it did not require a tax increase, and that some employees in the executive positions have reached their merit dates and cannot receive the increase until the hearing is held. [2]
Exhibit A to the ordinance lists increases of up to 2.5% for the city manager, assistant city manager, city attorney, assistant city attorney, public works director and deputy, management services director, parks and recreation director and deputy, city recorder and city treasurer. It lists up to 3.75% for the police chief, two police captains, fire chief and deputy fire chief. The justice court judge is listed at up to 3.75%. A footnote says that, as required by the state Administrative Office of the Courts, the judge receives a merit increase equal to the average given to all full-time employees during the year, with a maximum of 3.75%. [1]
The packet says the mayor and council members are not eligible for merit increases. Their annual pay stays at $13,804 for the mayor and $9,364 for each council member. [1]
Earlier in the meeting, several residents criticized property taxes, city spending and executive compensation during public comment, and some referred to a referendum on a tax increase. [2]
The council held the public hearing on the ordinance before voting to table it. The council also approved Resolution 26-29, updating the rental policy for the city's Hope Center, 5-0. [1][2]
Sources
- Roy City Council agenda and packet, Oct. 20, 2026 (Ordinance 26-15 and Exhibit A) royutah.gov
- Roy City Council meeting video, Oct. 20, 2026 youtube.com
- OpenCity record of the Oct. 20 Roy City Council meeting roy.openutah.org
This story was written by AI from the report by Roy City, which has the full story. How we write stories.