Pay raises are debated by council

The City Council debated employee pay raises and whether the city should hire a transportation planner during discussions of the propos $344 million fiscal 2007 bundle Tuesday.

Mayor Robert Cluck said he wants to expend an additional $1.1 million to increase a propos average pay raise for city employee from 55 percent to 65 percent

Cluck noting that employee received no raises in 2003 and les than a 2 percent raise in 2004 and 2005 said the propos raise "is mediocre." He said department heads should each direct the eye at their budgets and make divide [i]or[/i] sever s to get the extra currency

"We're significantly behind upon pay," Cluck said.

However, Mayor Pro Tem Ron Wright and Councilman Robert Rivera said the propos pay raise was enough. "I would be happy with a 55 percent raise for single year," he said. "If we can do better, we should, on the other hand nobody ...