Many city of Oak Harbor staff members will receive inflation-related raises in the new year.
Non-represented employees of Oak Harbor are set to gain a 2.5% cost of living adjustment, employees who are part of the Teamsters Union will gain a 2.5% cost of living adjustment and all employees will find revised benefits in the revised employee policy manual.
The Oak Harbor City Council unanimously authorized the adjusted non-represented employee compensation and the modified agreement for the Marina, Parks and Public Works employees after hearing presentations led by Finance Director David Goldman and Human Resources Director Emma House last Tuesday. Council members also unanimously voted to approve the resolution adopting a revised employee policy manual, which establishes different benefits, modified compensation and more for employees.
Though a 2.0% cost of living adjustment for non-represented employees was included for the 2025-2026 biennial budget, because of inflation, Goldman recommended increasing this number to 2.5% in 2026. The additional .5% adjustment will cost the city $29,123.70 in a year.
Councilmember Jim Woessner was happy with the decision.
“Over the eight years we’ve been working extensively to bring these unrepresented people up because they were kind of left in the dust for many many years, so I’m happy to make the motion to adopt Resolution 25-28,” he said
House also presented council members with a revised employee policy manual. The revisions include positive additions, such as service recognition, retention pay, transitional work, accrued vacation to deferred compensation plans and more. However, it also removed shared sick leave and the wellness membership fee incentive.
“The shared sick leave policy became more complicated in terms of taxation — not only to the person donating but also to the person receiving the donation,” House said.
Instead of the wellness membership fee incentive, the city will provide a gym membership to one of the local facilities in the community, she noted. House emphasized the revised policy changes stem from the feedback of many city employees.
“We did want to make sure as we were going through the policy manual, that we are also trying to enhance any benefits, leave management and opportunities to continue to encourage work-life balance and show our employees that we are taking their feedback,” House said.
Mayor Pro tempore Tara Hizon said she was pleased that staff was consulted during completion of the manual.
Additionally, council members voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to sign the labor agreement by and between the City of Oak Harbor and the Teamsters Union for the Marina, Parks and Public Works. House said the agreement would be a three-year contract from 2026 through 2028. The cost of living adjustment was agreed upon for three years, she noted, and includes an adjustment of 2.5% for 2026, 1% for 2027 and 1% for 2028. The agreement also provides an adjusted pay for when someone covers a higher level position to $11 per day for 2026, $12 per day for 2027 and $13 per day in 2028.
All motions go into effect on Jan. 1.
