The Ritzville Adams County Journal - Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887

City employees will be getting a raise next year if the proposed 2022 budget is approved.

Using a 2021 Association of Washington Cities salary survey for comparison, officials said employees lag behind their peers in similar-sized cities.

To start closing the gap, a 3% cost-of-living adjustment is being budgeted for city staff, with a 4% COLA for the police chief, public works supervisor and clerk-treasurer.

In a Nov. 16 memo, the mayor and City Council’s Finance Committee said the increases are “a step toward bridging the wage gap.”

The planned raise is the third in the last fo...