Certain Beaumont city employees got more than a raise this year. They also got a salary adjustment.

This is the second three years during which the city is expected to roll out salary adjustment for employees in the bottom half of their published pay ranges. The move comes after the Dec. 2023 completion of a salary study that found 66% of employees fell in that range.

City Manager Kenneth Williams said that by the end of year three, all employees will be paid the minimum recommended salary for their positions. In addition, while this plan wasn't discussed during this year's budgeting process, he said it is still being implemented.

RELATED: City council approves raises for city manager, attorney

In the first year, the city spent $250,000 on adjustments for the city manager and other positions. This year, including benefits, the city is expected to send approximately $372,000 on raises for 197 employees. Next year, the city is expected to spend $2 million to finish implementing the plan.

Williams said the study allowed council is able to ensure all employees are paid equitably.

"(Doing the study) was important because before I got here, the council was having to make decisions (without knowing) what the market for positions (was)," Williams said. "So they wanted to get the dollar (amounts) for positions, so they would know how to pay employees to recruit and retain (them)."

In the first phase of a three-year implementation plan, the city increased the starting wage of all full-time employees to $15. Also in the first year, Williams received a $7,500 salary increase, and the city attorney got a $20,000 base salary increase.