OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Town Manager Mark Pearson will continue to administer performance raises to non-union town staff, while at the same time, they’ll see an increase in their personal contributions to health insurance costs.

Last year, the town council appropriated about $46,200 for merit-based raises to non-union employees, some of whom had not had raises in four years.

Pearson, with the understanding that he had town council consensus, even though there was no official vote on the matter, moved forward with a staff evaluation procedure and began administering raises to non-union staff, retroactive to July 1, 2012.

After hearing some town council members were upset to learn that he had moved forward on administering the raises, Pearson stopped until he could get an official vote from the town council.

Pearson said he decided he should not use the “consensus model” for approval to move forward.

“I came to (the) conclusion that we need to have a council vote, to either memorialize it or to vote it down,” said Pearson.

At last Tuesday’s town council meeting, Pearson asked the council for permission to continue with the raises. He said 13 non-union staff had received raises, and there were 11 who had yet to receive them. As well, he said, there were five positions not eligible for raises because the position is vacant or the employee has worked for the town for less than a year.

Pearson said there is more than $23,000 remaining in the fund, which would be enough to cover the remaining pay increases.

The council voted last week to allow Pearson to continue administering raises.

Council Chairwoman Sharri MacDonald said the council will discuss an official town policy for raises for non-union employees at a later date.

The council later that night voted to increase the percentage of health insurance benefits that non-union employees pay, from 12 percent to 15 percent.

Councilor Bob Quinn said the majority of the council last year had been in favor of the increase, but it had not been administered.

The change for health insurance payment will be retroactive to Jan. 1.

Those who haven’t gotten their merit-based raise will not see the increase in insurance payment until they get a raise.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.