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A resolution approving the compensation for the Director of Health as fixed by the Metropolitan Board of Health.
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WHEREAS, the Charter of the Metropolitan Government (“Charter”), Article 10, Chapter 1, Section 10.105, provides that the Metropolitan Board of Health (the “Board”) shall appoint a Director of Health; and,
WHEREAS, Article 10, Chapter 1, Section 10.105 of the Charter further provides that the Board may enter into an employment contract with the Director of Health and at compensation to be fixed by the Board; and,
WHEREAS, Article 10, Chapter 1, Section 10.105 of the Charter further provides that the compensation for the position of the Director of Health after being fixed by the Board must be approved by the Metropolitan Council by resolution; and,
WHEREAS, the Board has appointed Oluwasanmi O. Areola, PhD to fill the position of Director of Health and has fixed the compensation as follows:
1. The salary of the Director shall be initially fixed at Two Hundred Sixty Thousand and No/100th Dollars ($260,000.00) per year, less applicable taxes, deductions, and withholdings, paid in appropriate increments pursuant to the Metropolitan Government’s regular pay periods. Should the Director’s employment terminate, the Director’s salary shall be prorated based on the actual number of days worked during a regular pay period, with any partial pay period calculated on a daily basis, ensuring that the Director is paid only for the time he is actively employed by the Board.
2. Effective on July 1, 2026, based on the discretion of the Board in its evaluation of the Director’s job performance, the Director may be entitled to annual merit pay increases equal to the percentage of open range increases for other Metro employees (in addition to the cost-of-living increase set forth below).
3. The Director shall receive cost of living increases consistent with the “across-the-board” increases provided to the general employees of the Metropolitan Government.
4. There shall be deducted from the pay of the Director such amounts as may be required by federal, state, or local law and as may be directed by the Director.
5. The Director shall receive twenty (20) annual leave days at the commencement of this Agreement and also accrue two (2) annual leave days per month and one (1) sick leave day per month during the term of this Agreement and may accumulate such days up to a maximum authorized by the Civil Service Rules and Regulations of the Board (the “Rules”).
6. The Director shall also be entitled to any and all fringe benefits as would a permanent employee of the Board and/or the Metropolitan Government. Such benefits may include, but not be limited to, pension, medical insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, deferred compensation and other benefits as may be offered by the Employee Benefit Board of the Metropolitan Government.
7. The Director shall be reimbursed for reasonable mileage and travel expenses related to his attendance at professional meetings, conferences, seminars and the like while on official business for the Board, provided the expenses are consistent with Metro’s Travel Policy.
8. The Board shall pay the professional membership fees, dues, and other costs as may be agreed between the Director and the Board; and,
WHEREAS, it is to the benefit of the citizens of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County that the compensation for the Director of Health as fixed by the Board be approved.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the compensation established by the Metropolitan Board of Health as set forth herein is approved.
Section 2. That this Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.
Agenda Analysis
Analysis
This resolution approves the compensation of Oluwasanmi O. Areola, PhD, as the Director of Health of the Metropolitan Government. Pursuant to Metro Charter Section 10.105, the Metro Board of Health may employ the Director of Health through an employment contract with a term not to exceed five years, but the amount of the salary is subject to the approval of the Council by resolution.
The resolution approves the compensation for the Director of Health as recommended by the Board of Health, which is to be $260,000 annually. In the discretion of the Board of Health, the Director of Health may be entitled to annual merit pay increases equal to the percentage of open range increase for other Metro employees. The Director of Health would also be entitled to any “across-the-board” increases provided to the general employees of the Metropolitan Government. The Director of Health would receive 20 annual leave days at the start of the agreement and accrue two annual leave days per month and one sick leave day per month during the term of the agreement. The Director of Health’s compensation under a contract approved in 2021 by Resolution No. RS2021-1090 was $235,000 annually at the beginning of the contract.