Lawrence commission votes to eliminate longevity bonuses for future employees, decrease amounts for existing employees

City leaders have voted to no longer offer bonuses based on seniority for future city employees and will be making changes to longevity payment amounts for existing employees beginning next year.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted, 4-1, with Commissioner Leslie Soden opposed, to adopt a new policy for the city’s longevity bonus that will tier and cap the amount paid to qualifying employees beginning in 2019 and eliminate the payments for employees hired after Jan. 1, 2019. City management recommended that the difference between the two payment structures for 2019, estimated to be $64,000, be diverted to other compensation programs, such as increases in wages for merit and market adjustments.