Vancouver raises city manager’s pay by 8.25%

After receiving a positive job performance evaluation, Vancouver City Manager Eric Holmes will receive a $24,180 pay bump.

On Monday, the Vancouver City Council approved a 8.25 percent raise to Holmes’ salary, increasing his base salary from $293,091 to $317,271. The raise will be backdated to June 1.

Holmes’ last pay hike, in which he received a 10 percent increase, was in September 2021.

According to a staff summary, the Vancouver City Council favorably reviewed Holmes’ job performance, particularly focusing on his success in managing the city’s climate action, community safety, homelessness and equity initiatives.

The evaluation identified focus areas for the city manager to engage in further, including speeding up the city’s appointment process for city board members and commissioners, as well as implementing its internal equity plan.

Council members did not discuss their review of Holmes during the regular council meeting.

The staff summary, composed by City Attorney Jonathan Young, notes that the city of Vancouver can comfortably cover the costs of Holmes’ raise in its 2023-2024 biennial budget, which is about $1.7 billion.

Holmes has served as Vancouver’s city manager since 2010 after being promoted from the assistant city manager position. When Holmes began his current position, his starting salary was $161,500.

Vancouver has a council/manager form of government, meaning its governing body — the Vancouver City Council, including the mayor — appoints a city manager. In this role, Holmes is responsible for providing policy advice and direction to the council, as well as supervising city government operations. He also has the authority to hire or fire city employees.