YACHATS – City manager Bobbi Price received high praise from the Yachats city council Friday and a five percent pay raise for her performance one year into the job.
Price, the former director of the Yachats Area Chamber of Commerce, had no previous city manager experience when she was chosen over two other candidates to lead the city in October 2023 after the resignation of Heide Lambert and three previous years of manager and staff turnover and turmoil. Her first day on the job was Dec. 1, 2023.
To effectively evaluate the city manager’s performance, council members relied on personal interactions and a survey sent to community members, city staff and committee and commission members. The council discussed the evaluation in executive (closed) session Friday then came into public session to announce the results and vote on the raise.
“We are delighted to announce that due to the exceptional performance noted by almost all city constituents, we are offering the city manager a raise of five percent,” said Mayor Craig Berdie. “This brings her salary closer to that of other city managers in our area and is well deserved.”
The performance review was based on the city manager’s job description and expectations outlined when she was hired. Price is eligible to receive an unspecified cost-of-living increase in July.
“It brings (Price) close to parity with other cities of our size and ilk, but it also provides us room for upward mobility as the year goes forward,” Berdie said.
The survey reviews are not made public because it is an employee-related matter.
“But I will assure the public that the scores were between extremely capable and very capable in almost every category,” Berdie said. “We had 118 total reviews returned. Almost all were highly complementary. Our city manager is doing a fabulous job and we are very lucky to have her.”
Bravo!
Well-deserved!