With his new contract approved by council, Kyle City Manager Scott Sellers is set to remain with the city for three more years.[/caption]

At its meeting last night, Kyle City Council voted to approve a new contract for City Manager Scott Sellers.

According to the new contract, Sellers, who has been with the city since January 2015, will receive a base salary of $196,503, a $14,591 increase from his current base salary of $181,912. He’ll also receive monthly car and cell phone allowances of $800 and $100, respectively.

“I think the city is absolutely, unquestionably better off with extending Mr. Sellers’ contract,” Mayor Todd Webster said.

One reason for the pay increase was to be competitive with other cities and to keep Sellers in Kyle, District 5 Council Member Damon Fogley said.

“I’ve been very impressed by the performance of our city manager,” Fogley said. “In order to retain a good city manager you have to pay [well]. There are other competitors out there from other cities that want good leaders.”

Council voted 5-1 to approve the proposed contract. Only Place 6 Council Member Daphne Tenorio voted against the motion; Place 2 Council Member Becky Selbera was absent.

“I think you’re doing a wonderful job, I really do,” Tenorio said. “However, the [compensation] that was provided [for comparison] showed city managers [from surrounding areas] with decades of experience, and that isn’t the case for you at this time.”

While his new pay is comparable to that of city managers in cities such as San Marcos and Buda, Sellers’ new salary would be 2 1/2 times greater than average for a citizen of Kyle, Tenorio said.

However, the other present members of the council were unanimous in their support of Sellers' new contract.

“I’m extremely impressed with the way you’re managing our money, and that’s really what matters to me,” Place 1 Council Member Travis Mitchell said. “I feel like we’re on pace to do some incredible things.”