Billings City Administrator Chris Kukulski, currently in the second year of a three-year contract, will see a delay in discussions about his pay increase. The Billings City Council decided to postpone the decision following Kukulski’s recent performance evaluation, citing concerns about public perception as the city continues to address issues with its water billing system.
The city is conducting an audit to ensure residential utility bills are accurate, a matter that has drawn significant public scrutiny in recent months. While Kukulski’s contract automatically renews for another three years due to a lack of prior notice from the council, his $212,628 annual salary remains under review until the audit concludes.
The council voted 6–5 against adding the contract renewal as a discussion item for a future meeting. This effectively allowed the contract to renew under its existing terms, which have been in place since Kukulski began his tenure as city administrator in 2018.
The decision to delay salary adjustments reflects an effort to maintain public trust while addressing the billing concerns. According to officials, the audit results are expected in the coming months, and any potential salary changes for Kukulski will be evaluated based on its findings.
Despite the postponed pay adjustment, city employees are slated to receive an average 4% salary increase this year. Kukulski’s compensation package has also been benchmarked against administrators in similar roles in other cities. While it exceeds the compensation for officials in smaller Montana cities like Great Falls and Kalispell, it falls short of comparable roles in cities like Greeley, Colorado.
Councilmember Bill Kennedy emphasized the importance of transparency in decisions that affect taxpayers, pointing to ongoing concerns about communication and preparedness. He noted that better coordination during the transition to the city’s new billing system could have mitigated some of the current challenges.
Kennedy and other council members highlighted the need for improved communication between the city administration and council moving forward. They hope to restore trust and ensure taxpayer concerns are addressed more effectively in the future.
The council will revisit Kukulski’s pay increase after the audit’s resolution, expected in several weeks or months. Until then, they aim to prioritize addressing the water billing issues and reinforcing transparency in city operations.