City Commissioners gave City Manager Greg Doyon a favorable review and a raise during a June 21 meeting.
Commissioners conducted the review in closed session, but returned to open session to give an overview and vote on the raise.
Commissioners renewed Doyon’s contract in 2020 for three years, expiring in March 2023.
In 2020, his base salary was $161,500.
Doyon gets favorable review, contract unchanged
During this week’s meeting, commissioners voted to increase his base salary to $183,713, retroactive to March 24, 2022.
Mayor Bob Kelly said that the city’s human resources director researched comparable salaries for city managers in the state and region and used those to make the recommendation to increase Doyon’s salary.
Commissioners approve city manager pay increase
He said the minimum was $156,000, the middle was $183,000 and the maximum was $211,000.
Kelly said commissioners couldn’t give Doyon much in the way of increases during COVID due to budget uncertainty and it “wasn’t enough at the time to recognize Greg for what he’s worth to us.”
City manager’s contract renewed another three years
As the city comes out of COVID in a good financial position and with inflation increasing, Kelly said wages have to respond and that they’re also thinking ahead knowing that this time next year, they’ll be negotiating a new contract with Doyon and hope to keep him in Great Falls.
Kelly said they look forward to talking to Doyon again next year to negotiate a new contract and “what it will take to make sure other cities don’t poach the talent that we’ve grown here.
Doyon has been the city manager since 2008.
At the time, the city was involved in the failed Electric City Power venture that took years to extricate itself from.
As of this year, the city has paid its last ECP debt payment, Doyon said during the budget meeting.
Kelly said it has “been a pleasure to watch his management style grow and mature,” over the years.
Kelly said he’s always available to commissioners and that “Greg has never been afraid to stand alone. He will state his mind and bring his experience to his opinion.”
If the decision goes another way, Kelly said Doyon will accept it, “but not without a fight. We respect that.”
Kelly said that they discussed the need to improve the city’s live streaming capabilities and also the city’s communication with the public.
