Logo courtesy of the City of Biggs

BIGGS, CA (MPG) - The City Council on March 24 approved agreements granting one‑time lump‑sum payments to both represented and unrepresented employees, extending labor terms through June while the city continues to work through a delayed budget review.

Four council members voted in favor of the one-time payment, with Councilmember Anita Wilks abstaining, to approve a side‑letter agreement with the union representing the city’s public works employees. The agreement extends the current 2022-25 Memorandum of Understanding to June 30, 2026, and authorizes a $1,500 lump‑sum payment to each of the four represented employees. 

City Administrator Nicolas Gauthier said the agreement reflects the city’s counteroffer to the union’s earlier proposal and formalizes the terms both sides agreed to.

Wilks said she could not support the action without a current budget review, noting the council has not examined the city’s financial status since the 2025-26 budget was adopted last May. 

“I don’t know if we have a balanced budget,” she said, adding that while staff reports a positive cash balance, the city has not identified all outstanding obligations.

A similar 4-0 vote followed on the agreement for the city’s three unrepresented employees, who will also receive a $1,500 lump‑sum payment. The action mirrors the terms approved for represented employees and maintains the city’s policy of treating both groups consistently. The $4,500 total cost is already budgeted for the current fiscal year, city officials said. 

Mayor Bo Sheppard acknowledged Wilks’ concerns but said the city must continue routine personnel actions even as it works through the delayed budget review. He said he supports Wilks’ position on fiscal oversight while also supporting the need to move forward with employee agreements already budgeted for the year.

Gauthier told the council the city’s long‑delayed audit and mid‑year budget review are nearing completion and are expected to be ready for council consideration in April, giving the city a clearer picture of its financial position. He said staff has been reconciling outstanding obligations as part of the audit process, which will help confirm the city’s year‑end financial position.

The agreements for both represented and unrepresented employees remain in effect through June, when the city is expected to revisit labor terms as part of its regular bargaining cycle.