Fulshear City Manager $36K salary increase without City Council approval

Agenda item Business C
Attached video is the discussion starting min 1:08. Video is under 6 min long.

Do you remember my 8/24/22 post about that huge increase of our City manager cost and nowhere to find city council approval of his salary increase? Cost increasing from $191,227 (2020) to $236,240 (2021).

This meeting discussion was the follow up on their 8/16/22 executive session. City manager Harper has not attended the meeting, “he felt ill last couple days”.

▪️K. Kahlich said “an independent third party should be involved to find the correct resolution on those items we discussed”.
“On this budget I would like to see revision on the City manager office salary and wages … revise from $464,871 to reduce it by $36,823 to new number that’s $428,048.”

▪️A. Groff said “There was a request for independent investigation… I went ahead and began that investigation”. He also said three times within 2 minutes this is about cost of living adjustment.

◾️📌D. Cates said “I too could approve the budget with an amendment …. that City manager 2023 proposed based salary of $206,823 be reduced by $36,823 to reflect the contracted amount of $170,000 as agreed on the contract dated March 20, 2018 ….until a third party legal opinion is rendered and the issue between the contracted salary and actual paid salary is formally resolved.”

▪️D. Cates said “We had two conflicting sets of legal advice…. We have to get a third legal advice we can lean on.”

◾️A Groff said “we have requested third party investigation and the paperwork was turned over to the state.”
After exec session City Council approved 2023 budget as is, ie without lowering city manager salary. Knape made motion, Martin seconded, approved 5:2. Kahlich and Cates voted against

Meeting video:
https://fulsheartx.swagit.com/play/09202022-983