Council Considers Increasing Its Pay 5%

City Council members are considering giving themselves a 5% pay raise and will take a final vote on the issue Nov. 12.

“The total cost is only $1,655 a year to the city for this pay raise,” Councilman Tom Carroll said in an interview Thursday. “We’re not talking about a whole lot of money.”

The pay raise, which would become effective Dec. 13, would increase a council member’s monthly pay to $510 from the current amount of $486.

Carroll, Councilwoman Mary Ann Jones and Mayor Walter K. Bowman supported the increase in a preliminary vote this week.

Against it were Councilwomen Gail H. Kerry and Cecilia L. Age, both of whom are leaving office after Tuesday’s election.

Kerry said in an interview that she does not think it appropriate for the council to vote itself a raise when salary negotiations are still underway with four associations representing city employees.

New contracts with two other unions give police management personnel a 6.28% raise, and public safety employees salary increases range from 2/5% to 6.28%.

Kerry said she does not think the city can afford to give all of its employees a 5% pay raise, “so I don’t think it’s appropriate for the council to raise its [own] pay” by that much.