During the last Eden Prairie City Council meeting on May 6, council members met in a closed session prior to the meeting to conduct the yearly performance review of City Manager Scott Neal.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Phil Young explained that, consistent with past reviews, “Mr. Neal received very high marks for his performance during the last 12 months.”

“And the council concurred.”

The council approved a performance payment of 3.5 percent of Neal’s salary, or $4,724, and a base increase of 2 percent of his base salary, or $2,699. City Manager Scott Neal’s salary is $134,971.20, according to the city Web site.

Only Council Member Jon Duckstad voted against the increase, but he noted that does not indicate he does not recognize the good job Neal has done.

Duckstad said he personally believes that the city manager continues to do and has done a good job. He said he’s

in favor of a pay increase, “but not at the level that is advanced at this moment.”

“But there’s a reason for that,” he added.

Duckstad said it’s not that Neal hasn’t done a terrific job, but at the present time, the economy is such that many feel we are going into a recession or are in a recession, he said.

“That’s a factor that should be considered,” when considering raises, he said.

In response, Mayor Phil Young wanted to clarify his perspective.

“It’s very important that people clearly understand the two very different percentages which are in play,” Young said.

When the City Council initially negotiated Neal’s contract, it “intentionally put a performance component in it,” he added.

If Neal meets expectations he could receive that performance pay award.

“If we didn’t have it in his contract, the result of that would be that his base pay would be higher than it really is,” said Young

“I like very much the fact that there is a performance component” to the compensation, he noted.

“I don’t think it’s right to add those two number together,” he said about the base salary and performance payment.

Council Member Sherry Butcher noted that Neal’s job performance “is exceptional”

“[I] don’t want to lose sight of that in this conversation,” she said.

– Compiled by Leah Shaffer