Hallock Council sets COLA increase at 6.5%

By Anna Jauhola
The Hallock City Council approved a 6.5 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase for its hourly employees for 2023 during a special meeting on Monday, Dec. 19. The COLA takes effect this pay period, which will culminate in the first paycheck of the new year.
The council held the special meeting after they could not agree on a COLA percentage increase during the regular meeting on Monday, Dec. 5. Councilor Mike Totelben made a motion to approve a 6.5 percent increase, but that motion failed, so they redirected the issue to the personnel committee for further discussion and research, to bring a solution to the Dec. 19 meeting.
“The one thing we wanted to see is how we’re keeping up with the national averages (for COLA and consumer price index),” said Mayor Dave Treumer.
City Clerk/Administrator Aimee Sugden referred them to a sheet of paper with comparison numbers from the last nine years for COLA, consumer price index (CPI) and Hallock’s increases.
The average national COLA increases between 2014-15 and 2020-21 was 1.4 percent. For the CPI it was 1.6 percent. For Hallock’s local average increase during those years it was 2.3 percent increase.

Read the whole story in the Dec. 28, 2022, edition of the Kittson County Enterprise.