The Goshen Common Council voted this week to raise salaries for non-bargaining public workers by 5% as part of the city’s 2024 budget.
City officials say the pay increases will keep Goshen competitive in retaining talent.
The raises don’t apply to unionized employees like police officers and firefighters who negotiate pay separately. Goshen Mayor Gina Leichty said the measure comes on the recommendation of consultants Baker Tilly, who have been conducting a large-scale study on the city’s workforce.
Leichty said that study will recommend new classifications and potential realignment for city staff should be officially presented soon.
“The salary expectation is still there so we want to make sure that what we’re offering is competitive with comparable roles,” Leichty said.
The raises passed the council with only Republican Doug Nisley voting against the measure. In an interview with WVPE, Nisley said he's not opposed to the raises, he just wanted to receive the full report from Baker Tilly before voting in favor.
In South Bend, non-bargaining employees received 3% raises in both 2023 and 2024. Elkhart is also giving staff a 4.5% raise for next year.
