7/6/2026 City Council Work Session / Executive Session

The City of Albany, Oregon City Council held a work session on July 6, 2026, primarily focused on reviewing and updating the compensation package for the city manager. A consultant presented a compensation study comparing Albany's city manager salary to five similar cities, revealing that Albany's salary was approximately 15% below the median. The council discussed establishing a formal salary range for the city manager position, with recommendations to place the current city manager at a midpoint step and gradually increase his salary over the next year. They also considered contract updates including severance provisions, cost of living adjustment language, and performance evaluation cycles. The council debated the timing and structure of salary increases, severance payout methods, and the use of third-party consultants for performance evaluations. A motion was made to adopt staff recommendations on salary placement, progression, and contract updates, with discussion on potentially amending the salary increase schedule to a more gradual approach. The meeting included no direct contract awards or procurement decisions but focused on compensation policy affecting future recruitment and retention of executive staff.