City council OK's pay increase

After a year of going without, city employees and officials may be getting a pay raise next year.
The Portland City Council has given the nod to a 1.5 percent pay increase for all city employees and elected officials. Council members will have to vote on the matter again to make it official.
“We are able to propose a pay raise … without a burden on the tax payers,” city mayor Bruce Hosier said during Monday’s council meeting. The mayor added that city employees and officials work hard and deserve the pay raise. This year, city employees and officials did not receive a pay increase because of the poor economy.
With the increase, the mayor’s pay will increase to $46,189 from $45,506.24, and the clerk-treasurer’s salary to $45,375.46 from $44,704.92.
City council members would make $3,565.55, up from $3,512.78 and the city court judge’s pay would increase to $13,719.94. Members of the Portland Board of Works will be paid $50 per meeting.
The street and park department superintendent, fire chief, police chief, wastewater superintendent and water superintendent would each make $43,624.36 per year.
Council members Mike Brewster and Todd Nichols both voted in favor of the pay increases.
Brewster is a Portland police officer and Nichols works for the city street department.
The pay increases are expected to be voted on again by the council on Aug. 2.
Also Monday, council members:
•Approved annual tax abatement compliance forms for 15 businesses granted five-year and 10-year abatements.
The companies fill out forms each year explaining how they are complying with the tax abatement guidelines.
•Voted to close portions of Main, Commerce and Ship streets on Aug. 22 for the Welcome Home to Portland Festival.
The streets will be closed near the Jay County Courthouse, between 3 and 7 p.m. There will be a parade at 4:30 p.m., starting at the Jay County Fairgrounds and ending at West Water Street.
•Approved an invoice from Cook’s Nursery and Trim, Portland, to do landscaping work at the Community Resource Center.
Randy Geesaman, city clerk-treasurer, said the business charged an extra $50 for additional peat moss. He said Cook’s employees discovered that previous landscaping work at the city-owned building was incomplete. The total bill was $1,200.[[In-content Ad]]