During this week’s City Council meeting, Councilman Phillip Roberts introduced a motion to give five of the City’s employees a one dollar per hour pay increase.

Roberts said the three Street and Sanitation employees had been passed over on their annual raise for the past two years and the two in the office had been certified as clerks is the reason for the increase. Roberts proposal to amend the budget is to take $5000 from the Fire Department, $1000 from the Police Department, and $2500 from the Street and Sanitation Department to help pay for the increase in pay. The Street and Sanitation Department has some equipment to be sold as surplus and will apply that amount toward the $10,400 need to cover the extra cost. Councilman Yarbrough expressed her he opposition to the proposal during the discussion, saying the City had not singled out a group of employees for a pay raise. She said they had always considered all employees for any pay increases. The motion passed on a 5-2 vote.

The Council approved the purchase of patriotic flags for the Downtown area at a cost of $3195.50 with plans to ad new benches and planters.

The department supervisors gave their quarterly reports for the Council which included the new Fire Chief, Will Gardner.

The next Centre City Council meeting is set for October 24th at 5pm in the Council Chambers and is open to the public.