Algood Budget Tabled As Council Questions Raises

Disagreements over raises for employees prevented Algood City Council from passing a budget Tuesday.

Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler said she couldn’t support a budget that gives a 10-percent raise to administrative positions.

“I respect everybody who does their work here and I anticipate that supervisory work is maybe a little more complex,” Chapman-Fowler said. “However, for everyone else to receive a 1.5 ( percent raise) and then others a 10-percent, I do have a problem with that.”

The council voted to table the budget until a special-called meeting on May 30th.

Councilman Luke Hill said he wanted more time to study the issue.

“Anytime you look at a compensation issue, you want to make sure that it’s fair,” Hill said. “There were some questions tonight and we just put a pause on it to make sure those questions got answered.”

The proposed budget provides a 10-percent raise for administration and step raises for other qualified employees. A 1.5-percent raise goes to employees who have hit the top of the step raise system.

Council hopes to vote on the budget’s first reading during the May 30th meeting.