Cape Girardeau city manager Scott Meyer was rewarded with a $3,155 pay raise for the new fiscal year that began July 1, which one councilman called "reasonable."

The pay raise bumped up Meyer's salary to $158,318.

"For a city of our size, that has 100,000 people in it during the day and a Division I university, I think it is reasonable," Ward 4 Councilman Robbie Guard said Thursday.

The Southeast Missourian made a written request to city hall for the salary information.

The city council unanimously approved the pay raise on April 15 in closed session, according to deputy city clerk Bruce Taylor.

Guard said council members annually review and grade Meyer's performance on a numerical scale.

Guard said that since 2016 when he joined the council, Meyer has "graded above average" every year.

The council earlier this year compared Meyer's compensation to that of city managers in comparable communities such as Columbia, Missouri, Paducah, Kentucky, and Carbondale and Marion, Illinois, Guard said.

"I thought it was in the ballpark, but I didn't think it was necessarily better," he said of Meyer's compensation.

Guard said Meyer refused a pay raise in 2018 because tight finances made it impossible to fund a pay raise for the rest of the city's employees.

"I think it is very commendable, and it should be noted that he could very easily have kept his mouth shut," said Guard.

The councilman said he likes the fact that Meyer's pay is based upon merit.

Guard said he would prefer that all city employees raises be merit-based rather than an across-the-board raise. "I think it creates a push to work hard," he said.

"The council is happy with Scott Meyer and we are thankful for the job that he does," said Guard.

He praised Meyer for communicating well with council members and working to address issues. Most of the council members meet individuallly with Meyer biweekly.

"We figure out a way to get it done and that makes sense," Guard said.

"Sometimes I gripe at him about how long it takes to get things done. In his defense, he looks at me and says, 'we have got to get it right.'"

Meyer previously worked as facilities management director for Southeast Missouri State University and before that as district engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation.

He has served as city manager since July 1, 2009, when he was hired at a base salary of $117,000.

"He was hired to get a lot of projects done in a short amount of time," Guard said. "He has done a heck of a job."

Guard said council members spend about two months each winter reviewing and grading Meyer's performance. Each council member fills out a four-page questionnaire.

He said the council is not obligated to give a raise to the city manager.

The council recently approved the fiscal 2020 budget, which included a 2 percent pay raise for city employees.

Guard said the pay raise for Meyer was in keeping with the percentage pay raise for other city employees.

Ward 5 Councilman Ryan Essex said grading the performance of the city manager is an important oversight role for the council, but not an easy task.

But he added, "I feel like that process works very well."

Do you like stories about government and courts? Keep up with the latest news by signing up for our daily morning headline email. Go to semissourian.com/newsletters to find out more.

---

Salaries at a glance

Salaries at a glance

Cape Girardeau city manager Scott Meyer, $158,318

Jackson city administrator Jim Roach, $100,261

Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy, $79,658

Associate commissioners Paul Koeper and Charlie Herbst, $77,658

Sources: City and county governments