City Approves Longevity Pay for All Workers

The Olney City Council voted Nov. 24 to dramatically update the city’s longevity pay policy, replacing a decades-old system with a tiered bonus structure designed to improve employee retention and recruitment across all departments.

Mayor Rue Rogers told the Council the existing policy, created around 2000, awarded employees just $3 per month for each year of service—an amount he called outdated and ineffective.

“It’s long overdue that we update our longevity structure,” Mayor Rogers said. “We can have the best equipment in the world, but if we don’t have people, none of that matters.”

Under the new system, all full-time city employees will qualify for an annual bonus based on time worked during the year: $1,000 for a full year of service $750 for nine months $500 for six months $250 for three months Mayor Rogers said the revision was prompted in part by incentive bonuses recently approved for police officers, which led him to ask what the city was doing for employees in every department.

Public Works Director Michael Jacoba underscored the disparity, noting he received less than $500 after more than a decade on the job under the old system.

The plan carries a maximum $27,000 annual impact if all positions are filled, which Mayor Rogers called a wise investment in the city’s workforce.

Council members approved the policy unanimously, with Mayor Rogers thanking employees for “everything you do day in and day out” and calling the change a long-overdue show of appreciation.