Mayor Mike Matson appointed Merritt to the position by executive order in November, replacing Corri Spiegel. Merritt was the assistant city administrator and chief financial officer.
Earlier this month, the council voted to ratify her appointment, but did not approve an agreement that included a $50,000 bonus.
Under the new agreement, her base salary of around $174,000 will be increased by 2.5% retroactive to January. And she'll be paid the difference to match the amount of money that the former city administrator made. That comes out to around $37,000 retroactive to November, and around $6,000 per month starting next month.
She'll serve as interim city administrator until the end of September, unless the city appoints someone new before then. The mayor or any two members of the council could initiate a resolution to terminate Merritt. The resolution would then need a two-thirds majority vote to pass.
The council voted 8-2 to approve the agreement. It also approved a contract with a search firm to look for the next city administrator and attorney.
