Decatur’s city commission recently awarded a salary raise to veteran City Manager Peggy Merriss, increasing her base compensation from $170,000 to $184,000. The two-year contract, retroactive to Jan. 1, runs through Dec. 31, 2018.
Merriss doesn’t get automatic raises. The city commission has to approve any compensation changes during an open meeting, and Merriss’ last raise was two years ago.
According to the city, based on a survey of city manager base salaries in similar metro Atlanta and national cities, Merriss’ is above median but below the top one-third.
Merriss oversees a city staff that includes 210 full time positions and another 100 to 300 part timers depending on the season.
She’s worked for the city since 1983, and became city manager in Feb., 1993. Hers is the longest tenure in city history since Decatur went to the council manager form of government in 1924. The average duration nationally for a city manager is five to seven years.
Counting Merriss and her predecessor Curtis Branscombe, Decatur’s had only two city managers the last 45 years.
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