Nevada City city employees may receive $3,000 Christmas bonuses as a thank you
NEVADA CITY — It's city hall playing Santa in Nevada City, giving cold hard cash to employees who they say have been on their nice list all year long.
City Manager Sean Grayson is behind the idea, which he calls "a little unconventional," to give an extra $3,000 to every city employee to spend as a one-time "equity payment" including $500 that must be spent inside city limits.
The boost is meant as a thank you to the city's 38 understaffed and overworked employees and an incentive to keep them from looking for work elsewhere.
"We want to retain, recruit, and develop the best staff that we possibly can," Grayson said.
The strings to keep the extra cash inside city limits are well-received by local businesses.
Eric Giardina owns Golden Era, a restaurant and bar that is still battling back from COVID.
"A $3,000 stipend or a $500 credit for town, that means a lot to every business here that's hung on," Giardina said.
Kim Coughlan owns Novak's Men's Wear, a family business that has also persevered on Broad Street.
"For us, you know a couple hundred dollar sale is a big deal. It really is," Coughlan said.
For city employees, it is the most wonderful time of the year.
The city council was planning to vote on approving the bonuses Thursday night. If approved, they will be going out in the next paychecks on December 27.
