Decatur commission to discuss pay raises for city employees

DECATUR, Ga. — The City of Decatur is set to discuss providing bonuses to their staff in a one-time merit-based pay adjustment.

According documents from the City Commission of Decatur, officials will discuss a $500 or $1,000 payment for part-time and full-time employees.

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City Manager Andrea Arnold recommended approval of the merit-based payment at a recent city commission work session, according to records from the city government.

Employees who qualify for the one-time payment include part-time employees who have worked 100 to 499 hours since July 1 and full-time employees who have worked at least 500 hours in the same time period.

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“The national annual inflation rate as of September 2025 is approximately 3% which exceeds the 2.5% merit-based salary increase received by most regular, full-time employees in July 2025,” a letter from Arnold to city commissioners says. “Upon application of the pay increase, employees’ health insurance contributions increased on average by 12%. Regular, full-time employees did not receive salary increases in FY 2023-2024.”

While the increase is not an add-on to salaries, the city manager said in the letter recommending approval that the “pay adjustment equivalent to one pay period can help offset higher costs for essentials such as housing, food, utilities and transportation.”

Arnold’s letter also cites the “competitive pressures” to keep skilled staff working for the city, both for part-time employees and full-time.

Some of the positions mentioned in Arnold’s recommendation include the city’s school crossing guards and after-school counselors.

Commissioners are expected to discuss and potentially vote on the payments at their Monday commission meeting.

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