MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Members of Martinsburg’s City Council will vote later this week on small pay increases for workers in the Berkeley County city.
“I’m sure Council will approve a COLA (cost of living adjustment) of 1.5 percent for all employees across-the-board,” said Martinsburg Mayor George Karos. If approved, the hike would cost the city just more than $139,000.
Merit pay increases, Karos said, are not possible this year as Martinsburg — like many cities in West Virginia — continues to deal with another tight budget.
A more than $1 million surplus from the last fiscal year, he said, is not enough to assuage the fears about future budgets.
“We didn’t fill a lot of vacancies. We’ve taken the recommendation of our finance officer and city manager by not filling these positions,” Karos said. “But we’ve kept all the benefits.”
If approved during Thursday’s meeting of Martinsburg’s City Council, the cost of living adjustments for Martinsburg city workers would be made retroactive to July 1.
Karos was in Harrison County last week for the West Virginia Municipal League’s Annual Conference at the Bridgeport Conference Center.