The Portland City Council voted unanimously Monday to give City Manager Jon Jennings a 12 percent raise, bringing his salary up to $166,500.
City Councilor Jill Duson said that when hired, Jennings promised to be the strong city manager that the city charter calls for. “He’s done just that,” Duson said.
Jennings and Mayor Ethan Strimling have clashed over each other’s roles in City Hall, mostly over the mayor’s access to city staff.
The $18,500 raise is made up of three components: a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment, a 5 percent merit raise, and a 5 percent market adjustment.
The market adjustment was made to ensure that Jennings’ salary is appropriate relative to other city staff and similar positions in Maine and New England.
Jennings, who is in the second year of a three-year contract, is one of three employees who report directly to the City Council.
Both City Clerk Katherine Jones and Corporation Counsel Danielle West-Chuhta already have received substantial raises. Jones received a 17 percent raise, or nearly $14,000, bringing her salary to $92,960, while West-Chuhta received an 11 percent raise, or nearly $13,400, bringing her salary to $131,250.
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