Olympia City Council bids farewell to Karen Rogers

Councilwoman Karen Rogers received special recognition Tuesday at her last Olympia City Council meeting.

Rogers, who holds position 4, had announced in March that she would not seek re-election to a second term on the council. Rogers will be replaced by Cheryl Selby, who defeated fellow downtown business owner Darren Mills in the November election. Selby will be sworn in during the Jan. 7 council meeting at City Hall.

On Tuesday, several council members praised Rogers for her work, and presented her with a framed photo of Mount Rainier at sunset.

“Karen is independent, outspoken and courageous,” said Nathaniel Jones, mayor pro-tem. “She has the ability to say what needs to be said when it needs to be said.”

Elected in 2009, Rogers said serving on the council was a difficult but worthwhile job. She said her best moments came when neighborhoods and residents worked together to solve a problem.

“Just keep listening,” Rogers said. “That’s how you form good public policy.”

City manager gets pay raise

City Manager Steve Hall, Olympia’s highest-salaried employee, will get a cost-of-living increase.

Hall earns a base salary of $148,796. Following the Olympia City Council’s approval Tuesday night, Hall’s salary will increase to $153,260 starting Jan. 1, 2014.

The city council hired Hall as city manager in 2003. He previously served as assistant city manager, starting in 1990. The city manager runs the day-to-day operations of city government.

The contract includes provisions for sick leave, vacation, health insurance, retirement benefits and life insurance. Hall may accrue a limit of 480 hours of unused vacation time. The city will match a 3 percent monthly contribution of Hall’s salary toward a “deferred compensation account.”

Hall will also be eligible for “performance payment” at the council’s discretion based on achieving particular goals. It is a one-time payment made in February. In 2012, Hall received about $4,000 in additional compensation, according to The Olympia’s online database of employee salaries.

Independent employees at the city will receive a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment in 2014. Employees covered by union contracts will receive wage adjustments based on the terms of those contracts, according to a city spokesperson.

This story was originally published December 19, 2013 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Olympia City Council bids farewell to Karen Rogers."