City council gives the city manager a raise

Blaine City Council unanimously voted to give city manager Michael Jones a 5 percent increase to his salary, which is currently under the state’s salary average for city managers. Jones will now make $143,280 per year.

City council reviewed Jones’ performance in November and determined the city manager was performing well enough to receive a raise.

After looking over the salaries of city managers who ran cities of similar size and tax base, council found Jones’ salary was 6 to 9 percent below the state average. City budget constraints from Covid-19 and the U.S./Canada border closure limited Jones’ increase, keeping him under state average minimum by 1 percent.

Jones’ salary will increase in December and be included in the city’s 2022 budget.