James Windell
Agreeing that City Manager Kate Hosier’s salary needed to be boosted, the South Haven City Council unanimously approved giving her a raise.
Kate Hosier became city manager in September, 2020 after serving as South Haven’s as-sistant city manager, harbormaster and deputy clerk. Her current annual salary is $113,912.76.
A December 9, 2024, memorandum from Kim Wise, South Haven Human Resources Di-rector, indicated that the city contracted with Pontifex Consulting Group, LLC to review staff’s wages, which included a review of the City Manager’s annual salary. That review revealed that the City Manager is currently being paid under the minimum salary range for the market. Wise recommended that the City Council approve an updated employment agreement for Hosier with a 9.73% salary increase effective on January 1, 2025. That would bring her salary to $125,000.00.
The new Employment Agreement between the City of South Haven and Hosier includes the increase in her salary while keeping other benefits at the current level. Furthermore, the agreement specifies that the city manager agrees to work with and be responsible to the City Council, and that under the City Charter she works at the pleasure of a majority of the City Council. Although Hosier’s employment is for an indefinite term, it is anticipated that she will remain employed in her position for five years or longer.
Following the approval of the salary increase, Mayor Annie Brown commented that the city had received glowing remarks about Hosier’s performance as City Manager. “That made it an easy decision for us to unanimously give her a raise,” Brown said. “We are lucky to have her as our City Manager and I value her knowledge and her professionalism. She has so much experi-ence and her past education makes her an ideal city manager. We are very lucky to have her for another year.”
