DAPHNE, Ala.— On June 13, the City Council discussed the possibility of a one-time lump sum employee pay increase and other alternatives since city employees have not had any kind of raise since 2009. Mayor Fred Small requested the council consider the payment as a small gesture of appreciation for the hard work that the city’s employees do.

The original request to the council included a one-time lump sum payment of $500 to all full-time employees and $150 to all part-time employees. The total cost for the payment would cost the city $153,654.

Councilman John Lake suggested the city go one step further and offer the city’s employees a cost-of-living pay raise or reinstate step pay raises. According to rough estimates expressed during the meeting, a 1 percent pay raise across the board would cost the city less than $130,000.

“I am not in favor of giving this one-time pay. I would like to see us give them something on the (time) card … It is just going to be a Band-Aid for a big wound,” Lake said.

The City Council decided to see what the costs would be to provide a 1 percent or 2 percent raise or reinstate the step pay raises.

Councilman August Palumbo agreed with Lake, and suggested an increase to pay if the city could afford it. 

Councilman Ron Scott said he would like to see the city consider both options.

“I personally would like to see us consider the $500 one-time payment because they won’t make that up between now and the end of the year. Then, in the budget process, I think we have got to look at a COLA (cost of living allowance) or going back to the step increases,” Scott said.