WEIRTON — Weirton Council met in a work session Wednesday to continue discussions on proposed pay rate adjustments for the city’s non-union employees.

Wednesday’s workshop at the Weirton Municipal Building, and attended by employees from the city’s Finance, Planning and Development, and Public Works departments, was the third discussion by council on the matter.

“We’ve been kicking this can down the road for five months,” Mayor Dean Harris observed. “It’s time we made a decision.”

The potential for $458,000 in raises for the non-union workers had been budgeted for the current fiscal year, which began July 1, with Finance Director Diana Smoljanovich and City Manager Mike Adams saying they had calculated between $420,000 and $430,000 in increases as part of their proposal, which includes establishing new pay ranges and the cost of benefits.

“It’s been very challenging,” Adams said, explaining they were working on a proposal which would be both fair to the employees and fiscally responsible.

Adams noted the proposed ranges had been established by comparing pay rates from Weirton to other communities, including Fairmont and Clarksburg, based on their population and budget sizes; Steubenville, because of its proximity and population size; and Wheeling.

He explained much of the focus is on finding ways to provide incentives for employees to remain with the municipality, while potentially making the city more attractive to those looking for employment.

“This is our chance to keep our good people and maybe get more,” he said.

While the city’s three unions typically negotiate new agreements every three years, non-union employees haven’t had widespread adjustments in many years, something Ward 4 Councilman Rick Stead indicated was shocking given increases in the cost of living.

According to Stead, the cost of living in the United States increased by 5.9 percent in 2022, with an increase in 8.7 percent in 2023, and 3.2 percent in 2024. To date in 2025, the cost of living has gone up by 2.5 percent, Stead said.

“That’s more than 20 percent in the last five years,” Stead said. “We all know when prices go up, they don’t come back down.”

Stead recalled his own time as a municipal employee, including time in the Public Works Department, the Inspections Department, and the Weirton Police Department, relaying there were many years where workers were given gift cards, if anything at all, in lieu of any kind of bonus or pay raise.

While some concerns were expressed about how the new proposed ranges were calculated, and whether job descriptions were available for eight positions being created, members of council agreed some adjustments are needed.

“We all want you guys to be fairly compensated for the hard work you do,” Ward 7 Councilman Chris Jonczak said.

It also was suggested the city look into the possibility of incorporating a cost-of-living adjustment each year for the non-union workers.

A formal ordinance on the proposal is expected to be on the agenda for the Oct. 14 Weirton Council meeting.