28.A - Uniform Application

  1. The compensation fixed by the Council for each grade shall apply uniformly to all classes in that grade except as the Council may otherwise specifically provide.
  2. The compensation fixed by the Council for each class shall apply uniformly to all positions in that class.

28.B - At The Time of Appointment

  1. Except as provided in divisions 2 through 9 of 28.B, appointment to any Classified position shall be made at the current entrance salary prescribed by the City Council for the class.
  2. For positions requiring college graduation as a minimum requirement, an appointee possessing a post graduate degree in the designated field directly related to the duties of the appointee's position who has not used such additional education for experience in meeting the required qualifications for the position, may be paid up to Step C in the Standard Range prescribed by the Council for this position. For accounting positions, the C.P.A. (Certified Public Accountant) Certificate shall be considered the same as a Master's Degree in Business Administration.
  3. Appointment may be made to a graded position at any of the current steps prescribed by the Council. However, if appointment is made at a salary step requiring more experience than the appointee has acquired in employment outside the City service in positions equivalent to the position to which they are being appointed, then all other City employees holding the same title shall also be given credit for the same length of unearned experience in determining salary increases.

    Appointment at more than the current entrance salary shall be made only upon recommendation of the Human Resources Director, subject to the approval of the Mayor.

    Whenever discretionary changes are made in accordance with this section by the Human Resources Director the effective date of the action shall be preceded by a ten-day public notice period.

    This period shall be initiated by notice to the recognized bargaining unit for the title affected and the affected departments.

  4. No person holding a graded position shall suffer any reduction in compensation if appointed to some other position in the same grade or to a higher grade; however, no person shall receive a rate of compensation greater than the maximum ordinarily attainable in the position under the provisions of the Salary Resolution. If appointed to a position in a lower grade, an employee may be granted the minimum rate plus the number of step increases which they have been granted in their present position.

    A person holding a regular appointment in a graded position may, if appointed to an ungraded position which has a lower salary range than the position from which they are transferring, be granted the minimum rate plus the number of step increases which they have been granted in their present position. However, no person shall receive a rate of compensation greater than the maximum ordinarily attainable in the position under the provisions of the Salary Resolution.

  5. If any person holding a graded position is promoted to a position in a higher grade and the minimum rate for the position in the higher grade is at least five percent higher than his present salary, they shall be paid the minimum rate, plus one additional step if they have already received a fifteen-year increase, except for appointments made under Subsection 3 of this Section.If any person holding a graded position is promoted to a position in a higher grade and the employee's present salary is equal to, more than, or less than, but within five percent of the minimum rate for the higher grade, they shall be paid at the next salary step which is at least five percent higher than their present rate, plus one additional step if they have already received a fifteen-year increase. No employee shall be paid at any longevity step that they had not received in the title from which they are being promoted. No employee shall receive a salary greater than the last step in the Standard Range for the position, except for those employees who have been appointed under Subsection 3 of this Section. 
  6. If an employee on leave from a Classified, graded position and holding an Unclassified position is appointed to a Classified, graded position, the employee may be granted the minimum rate plus the number of increases to which they would be entitled under the Salary Resolution if the Unclassified position were Classified, provided the same shall not exceed employee's present salary.
  7. If an ungraded position is later graded, an employee holding that position may be granted the minimum rate plus the number of increases to which they would have been entitled if this class had always been graded. If the employee's present salary exceeds this above step, they shall not suffer any reduction, but shall be paid the rate next higher in the graded range than their present rate; provided, however, that no employee shall be paid at any longevity step that they would not receive had the class always been graded.
  8. If any person holding an ungraded position is appointed to a graded position and the employee's salary rate is more than the minimum rate or less than five percent less than the minimum rate, of the salary range applicable to the new position, they shall be paid the salary step in the graded range which is at least five percent higher than their present rate; however, no person shall receive a rate of compensation greater than the minimum rate plus the number of increases that they would have been entitled to had all their City service been in the new position.
  9. Appointments to the position of Pharmacist shall be made at Step D in the appropriate Standard Range as set forth in Section I D 3 in the Salary Plan and Rates of Compensation Resolution.
  10. Appointees to Recreation Center Director with a Bachelor's Degree in the designated fields shall be paid Step D; appointees to Recreation Center Director with a Master's Degree in the designated field shall be paid Step F.
  11. An employee who is reinstating or transferring from the City to the School District or vice versa and who holds a title common to both jurisdictions, but for which different grade and/or salary levels exist, shall be paid when reinstated or transferred at the salary grade established for the employee's title by the jurisdiction to which the employee is reinstating or transferring, and shall be placed in the grade at the salary step held prior to reinstating or transferring.
  12. An employee who is promoting from the City to the School District or vice versa and is promoting to a title common to both jurisdictions, but for which different grade and/or salary levels exist, shall have their salary increase calculated as follows:
    1. If the receiving jurisdiction pays the title to which the employee is being promoted at a higher grade than or with the higher salaries for the same grade as the sending jurisdiction, then the employee shall be placed at the earliest step in the grade used by the receiving jurisdiction, which is equal to or greater than 1.05, but not greater than 1.10 times the employee's salary in the position held prior to promotion.
    2. If the receiving jurisdiction pays the title to which the employee is being promoted at a lower grade than, or with lower salaries for the same grade as the sending jurisdiction, then the new rate of pay for the promoted employee shall be established at that step in the new title that would have resulted if the employee had been employed in their position in the receiving jurisdiction prior to the promotion.
  13. An employee who is reducing to a lower ranked class from the City to the School District or vice versa shall be paid at the same step as currently held, or at the step held in the lower ranked class prior to promotion if that is a higher step than the step currently held, but in the grade of the position to which the employee is reducing. The rate shall be the rate in force for that grade and step in the jurisdiction to which the employee is being reduced.
  14. These procedures in Subsections 11, 12, and 13 of this Section, shall not be used to create any pay rate which is less than the minimum or more than the maximum rates in any established grade in either jurisdiction.

    No employee shall be paid at a longevity step for which they have not qualified through School District and/or City service.

  15. Eligibles shall be permitted to waive appointment without penalty if the eligible is certified to either the School District or the City under the conditions reflected in this Section. Such waiver shall be in addition to the existing waiver provisions contained in the Rules.

28.C - Reallocation of Position

If an employee's position is allocated to a lower class, or if an employee's class is allocated to a lower grade, or if an employee's class is allocated to "Special Employments" at a lower hourly rate, the salary of such employee shall not be adversely affected thereby so long as the employee is entitled to reinstatement rights in accordance with 23.C. However, no salary increase shall be granted such employee until such time as the regular rate attached to their position exceeds their present salary. If there is a general salary reduction in the Compensation Plan, such employee shall not be exempted from such general reduction.

28.D - Length of Service

In computing an employee's length of service for the purpose of any salary advancement allowable by Council Resolution such service shall date from the time of regular or provisional employment.

28.E - Maintenance or Fees

There shall be deducted from the salary payable to any employee who, in the position held by the employee, receives from the City any meals, lodging, or other maintenance, an amount which fairly represents the value of such maintenance; and such value shall be determined by the department head and this shall be approved by the Mayor.

28.F - Special Allowances

Any special allowances authorized by the Council to any employee for the purpose of upkeep, maintenance, or furnishing of any animal, automobile, motorcycle, vehicle, uniform, or other equipment necessarily used by the employee in the performance of the duties of their position shall, if granted, be paid in addition to the regular salary payable to the employee.

28.G - Call-in Pay

When an employee is called to work they shall receive two hours pay if not put to work. If the employee is called to work and commences work, they shall be guaranteed four hours pay. These provisions, however, shall not be effective when work is unable to proceed because of adverse weather conditions; nor shall these provisions apply to temporary or emergency employees nor to employees employed under any of the titles listed under the heading "Special Employments"; nor to any person whose regularly scheduled workday is less than four hours.

28.H - Overtime Compensation

  1. Time on the payroll in excess of the normal hours set forth in Section 29 shall be "overtime work" and shall be done only by order of the appointing authority.

    Except as provided by contract provisions or, where no contract provisions exist, where the employee is exempt or not covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act, an employee shall be compensated for work done in excess of the normal hours at one and one-half times the established rate of pay.

    For employees whose rates of pay are established on a biweekly basis, the hourly overtime rate shall be one and one-half times the biweekly rate divided by 80.

    For employees whose rates of pay are established on an hourly basis, the overtime rate shall be one and one-half times the rate in effect for the work being performed.

  2. Compensatory time shall be granted or payment made for overtime not later than one year from the time when it is earned. No more than 150 hours of overtime may be accumulated in the form of compensatory time. Whenever time limit or maximum hour limit is exceeded, or when a department determines that compensatory time cannot be granted, payment must be made at the authorized rate. When overtime is paid this shall be shown on the payroll.

    Each department shall be responsible for keeping a record of compensatory time earned and used by each employee for each payroll period, and of overtime work. All such records shall be audited at least once a year by the Director of Finance and Management Services.

Last Edited: October 6, 2022