BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) — The Bristol, Virginia City Council voted on a first reading Tuesday to approve an ordinance for a one-time 1.5% bonus for all city employees and officers.

City Manager and Attorney Randall Eads mentioned during Tuesday night’s council meeting that the bonus is meant to compensate city workers who didn’t meet the criteria for a 3% raise recently sanctioned by the Commonwealth.

Eads noted that only employees covered by payroll plans with the Virginia Compensation Board are eligible for the pay raise. He believes that about five city employees’ salaries are not included in funding plans by the Virginia Compensation Board. Instead, they are paid directly by the city and therefore wouldn’t qualify for the 3% raise that all other city employees are obtaining.

The one-and-a-half percent bonus would be based on each employee’s salary as of June 30, for comp board employees and not.

Eads said the staffwide bonus would go to around 340 employees, costing the city $220,000. He added money will come from the current FY-25 positive variance money from the local lodging tax.

The ordinance’s first reading was approved 3-1, with Councilman Michael Pollard voting no. The ordinance’s second reading takes place on June 24.