Graham’s city council emerged from a 2½-hour closed session Tuesday night, which lasted almost as long as the 3-hour open portion of the meeting, to vote a more than $23,000 raise for city manager Megan Garner.
The council had scheduled the closed session under one of the provisions of the state’s Open Meetings Law that allows public bodies to discuss and evaluate personnel behind closed doors.
While it was not announced beforehand, afterwards mayor Jennifer Talley said the purpose had been “to discuss the city manager’s review.”
Talley said the council’s discussion had included “things that we would like to see her work on in the next fiscal year” (which begins July 1).
The council then voted unanimously, 5-0, to raise Garner’s salary to $200,000. The $23,436.30 increase represents a 13.27 percent raise from her current salary of $176,563.70.
The raise is to take effect at the “next pay period,” according to the mayor.
Garner was hired 3½ years ago, in October 2021, and began her Graham service in November of that year. She was originally hired at $120,000.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 p.m.
