Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 30, 1990 TAG: 9006300096
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
"I will be back," the eight-year Council veteran declared Thursday at the end of her final official outing. "I will miss Council very much."
Akers and Councilman Doug Anderson were defeated in May in bids for re-election.
Anderson, who also has served eight years on Council, was more philosophical. "Everybody should be here one time," he said.
Replacing the pair at Council's reorganizational meeting Monday will be Colbern Linkous, a political newcomer, and Elsie Repass, who once was town treasurer.
Akers' stay on Council was prolonged by a series of questions on the 1990-91 budget. The spending plan was up for its final vote.
"I don't mean to go through this page by page by page, but I do have questions," Akers said.
Among other things, Akers called on her colleagues to roll back the budgeted 4-percent cost-of-living raise for town workers. "My personal opinion is: I'd rather see a 2- or 3-percent increase.`
After Council's unanimous vote to approve the $1.56 million budget, Akers again raised the pay question and this time got help from Councilman Billy Pierce.
"I think the employees on the low end are often overlooked," Pierce said, suggesting a larger raise for the lowest-paid workers and a smaller raise for the highest-paid.
The question was referred to the Finance Committee, but it did inspire an impromptu debate on the issue of incentive pay.
Linkous, who had spoken against a 10-percent raise for employees last year, came out in favor of the 4-percent raise this year.
"In fact, I think it ought to be 5 percent," he said, citing a recent 4.7 percent Social Security increase.
Linkous also disapproved of Pierce's low-end, high-end differential suggestion, claiming it would kill employee incentive.
"If they need a 4-percent or 5-percent raise, they deserve it," said Clifton Roseberry, who praised town workers.
Roseberry, who said he's lived in Dublin for 50 years, earlier took the final public swipe at the town's new water rates, which increase the minimum in-town residential water bill from $6 to $8.50 and raise the cost of each additional 1,000 gallons of water from $2 to $2.75.
"You can't stand but so much tax increase, sewage increase, water rates, besides the electric bills and all that stuff," Roseberry said just before Council approved the new rates. Akers cast the lone dissenting vote.
Council thanked Akers and Anderson for their town service. Anderson had been vice-mayor and Akers led the Planning Commission.
by CNB