Proposed pay raises for City of Decorah department heads get scaled back

It appears City of Decorah department heads will receive just a cost of living increase next year.

Several members of the city's Personnel Committee on Monday night said they could not support a proposal calling for both a cost of living adjustment and a one step increase on the city's step pay rates.  Such a combination would have produced pay raises of 5 to 6 percent.

City council member Paul Wanless said such a pay raises would be "out of touch with reality."  City council member Randy Schissel said he could support a cost of living increase or a step increase--but not both.

The Personnel Committee did discuss the need to keep salaries for city department heads competitive with the salaries paid for similar positions in similar cities.  But it appears this year the department heads will receive just the 2.37 percent cost of living adjustment.