THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 13, 1996 TAG: 9606130363
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 86 lines
During its special work session on Wednesday, the City Council voted 4-3 to approve a $130 million operating budget that includes giving the mayor a 100 percent salary increase, council members 125 percent raises and municipal employees 3.8 percent raises.
Mayor S. Chris Jones, City Council members Richard R. Harris and Marian ``Bea'' Rogers dissented, voting against the budget due to the City Council salary raises. Jones pledged to devote his entire raise to charities, and Rogers also plans to give a large sum to city charities. Harris steps down on June 30.
The 1996-97 budget, which goes into effect July 1, also lowers the personal property tax rate from $4.35 per $100 assessed valuation to $4.25.
The most controversial measure was the salary increases.
Effective July 1, City Council members' salaries will increase from $8,000 to $18,000, and Mayor Jones' salary will climb from $10,000 to $20,000. The council hasn't had a raise in nearly a decade. But the fact that they opted for one upset Rogers and Harris.
``It's too much of an increase,'' said Rogers. ``It's overkill.''
The General Assembly amended the state code to allow cities to increase the salaries of its council members and the mayor. But Harris - a strident opponent of city-paid holidays and salary increases for city workers - made a futile attempt to repeal the law on Wednesday. Harris had hoped to move the matter for discussion, voting on repealing the ordinance that automatically increases the salaries.
But because the council was meeting in a special work session, Harris needed a unanimous vote from the body to place a new item on the agenda. The motion failed, with only Harris, Jones and Rogers supporting it.
``When you increase 10,000 here and 10,000 there, before you know it, that's two police officer positions,'' Harris said.
The council had planned on approving the budget during its regular meeting next week. But after deliberating over it for nearly three months, they opted to move forward during their work session.
``It's time we just passed this thing!'' said an exasperated Councilman J. Samuel Carter during a break in Wednesday's meeting.
Suffolk isn't alone in giving its council raises.
Chesapeake City Council members on Tuesday also approved raising their salaries. Mayor William E. Ward's salary jumped from $15,000 to $25,000. Council members' salaries increased from $13,000 to $23,000. Norfolk also voted for salary hikes.
In Suffolk, municipal employees will also get 3.8 percent raises.
Initially, the council wanted to give city employees a 3.3 percent increase, but decided for the 3.8 percent hike when they realized the Suffolk School Board had voted to give their employees increases.
``I think the city employees deserve raises just like the schools,'' said Councilman Thomas G. Underwood, who made the motion for the increase.
In other budget matters:
The fire department will get $126,000 to give overtime hours for 60 fire suppression officials.
Suffolk's Downtown Association, an independent organization that promotes downtown, will get $43,000. However, city officials say they want the association to seek its own funding privately in coming years.
Parts of the operating budget have already been approved, including:
An additional $300,000 for the school system, approved in May.
A 3 percent hike in water and sewer rates, which takes effect July 1.
The budget is an $11.7 million jump in expenditures from the current year, when city officials spent $118 million on operations.
The operating budget primarily funds the city's departments, such as fire, police and planning, and is financed by money from property taxes, local taxes, utility charges and licenses, permits and fees.
In April, the council approved its $40.3 million capital improvements budget, which funds construction and investment projects.
KEYWORDS: SALARY INCREASE SUFFOLK CITY COUNCIL by CNB