FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Most City Council meetings are sparsely attended.

But Monday night’s had a packed house of uniformed police officers, public works employees and other city staff there to see whether they would receive a salary increase.

A fire engine was also parked outside City Hall and a number of volunteer firemen were also in the audience, seeking a budget item for the department.

The council approved a budget for the new fiscal year including the pay hike but only for the next two months.

The adoption of the budget was not certain due to the transition to the new council and ongoing turf battles between the current council and mayor.

“If you want to get a crowd out, send a rumor around that we’re going to cut your pay,” said Councilman Cecil Christenberry, who did not seek reelection.

He said there was no truth to that rumor but passing a budget before the new council was seated deprived that body a chance to evaluate it or develop its own.

The compromise reached and passed unanimously included a 4 percent cost-of-living raise and merit pay increases.

“I think we ought to take care of the first two months in this budget and let the new council (approve) the rest of it,” Christenberry said.

During the work session prior to the regular meeting, some council members said they had concerns about voting on a budget because there had been no meetings to discuss the budget since it was presented to the council by Mayor Tim Kant in September.

“I know you have questions (about the budget),” Treasurer Nancy Wilson said during the regular meeting “But I haven’t been given any questions We have not had a meeting. Finance meetings are called at (the council’s) pleasure. We rely on you to call the meeting.”

Councilwoman Debbie Quinn, who won reelection and said she may seek election as council president, addressed the audience during the regular meeting to quell rumors that she was going to cut pay or stop a raise.

“That is totally untrue,” she said, mentioning that she had received several calls that mornings stating that she was going to do that.

Mayor Tim Kant encouraged the council to pass the budget, stating that the new council could revisit the budget when it takes office.

“I think the new council does need to meet and consider all appropriations,” Kant said.

Wilson presented the budget to the council, which included a memo from Kant to the council dated Sept. 15 and a number of pie charts comparing 2008 and 2009 revenue and expenditures, and budget requests from several departments.

That package presented to the council Monday was a different document than the city provided to the Fairhope Courier in late September when it requested a copy of the budget. The records provided to the newspaper did not include those additional items to the numerical budget figures provided.

“If you want further explanation or justification for these items and expenditures, I have the original requests in my office, and they are available for your review before final adoption,” the memo states.

In a telephone interview yesterday morning, Quinn spoke further about the pay raise rumor and her role in it.

“They said a rumor went to all city employees that I was going to stop their pay raise and for them all to turn out Monday night,” she said. “You don’t put the employees between the mayor and the council and use them as political pawns.”

Quinn said the employees would not reveal how the rumor was circulated or by whom but she came to her own conclusions.

“Who else could get all the employees to a meeting like that,” she said, referring to Kant. “He talks about communication and good will and let’s not fight and then does something like that.”

In other business, the council adopted an ordinance “relating to issuance of land disturbance permits for activities” in wetlands within the city limits and building permitting jurisdiction.

“It is an ordinance that attempts to regulate activities in wetlands that would destroy wetlands but it does not prevent development in wetlands,” said Chris Gill, an attorney with Hand, Arendall law firm, which represents the city in planning matters.

He said the building permitting jurisdiction extends approximately a mile and a half beyond the city limits.

The ordinance passed 4-0, with Councilman Mike Ford abstaining because he owns property that could be affected by the ordinance.

“You’re basically condemning people’s property,” Ford said.

Editor’s note: Additional reporting on the budget will follow in future issues.