
WILMINGTON — Wilmington City Council approved raises for three of the City’s top staff members at its regular meeting Tuesday.
The three employees — city clerk, manager, and attorney — are the only City staff members whose earnings are determined and approved by City Council.
Pay increases were determined by Council after the employees completed a “self-review” of their performance. The self-review does not include a salary adjustment recommendation; this recommendation derives from the Council Evaluation Committee.
Council raised City Manager Sterling Cheatham’s total salary by 4%, now earning $219,133.24. Clerk Penny Spicer-Sidbury’s salary was also raised by 4%, earning an annual salary of $88,978.35.
City attorney John Joye’s salary increase was significant. Councilman Kevin O’Grady, Chair of the Council Evaluation Committee, said Joye’s salary was “out of whack” with the market.
Council approved a market adjustment to Joye’s salary, up 13% from $162,440 to $185,000.
According to a City spokesperson, the City established a 2.5% merit pool that departments could choose to distribute among their staff in accordance with the employee’s performance against stated objectives.