DAPHNE, Ala. — City leaders Monday raised the future city council’s salaries.

Council members — beginning next term — will earn twice-monthly pay as follows:

City leaders voted 5-2 on the pay hikes; Council President Greg Burnam and Councilman Eric Nager dissented, citing financial strain on the city.

The compensation spikes represent increases of $3,360 for members; $5,400 for the vice president; and $6,400 for the president. The ordinance also provides cellular phones to the members.

Ernest Berger, chairman of a citizen’s committee for government salaries, had asked the council to increase future city leaders’ salaries to $15,000 annually; there hasn’t been a pay change in 12 years.

The council-appointed committee researched other city government pay scales and took surveys from city leaders to establish the amount of time they spent on city business.

Berger, a former business vice president of human resources at General Electric, said the committee wants a city council that is diverse; the pay — prior to Monday — would prevent citizens from balancing their day jobs and responsibilities as council members, he said.

“The average number of hours per month spent on city council matters is 63 per member,” Berger said at a Jan. 19 work session. “You are making important decisions for our community and should be properly compensated.”

The committee also suggested paid cell phones for council business communications.

“As a council, we tried to look at the (city’s financial) budget and we tried to use the committee’s logic,” Councilwoman Cathy Barnette said. “Council work is considerable. None of us do this for the money; it often costs us money to work for the city.”

Also Monday, city leaders raised the coming mayor’s salary to $75,000 annually for a full-time position beginning Nov. 1; Nager cast the lone dissenting vote, again citing financial strain on the city.

The mayor — as in the past — will receive a $6,000 vehicle allowance. He or she also will continue to receive a cellular phone and health benefits.

The advisory committee initially suggested a full-time mayor’s salary of $85,000, with benefits, but the council amended the ordinance to $75,000 annually to lessen financial burdens. Barnette — who believed in a higher figure — and Nager voted against the amendment.

“Financially speaking, we’re in somewhat of a down-turn,” Nager said. “It would be difficult to support this (council and mayor raises) at this time if we don’t support the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) increase,” he said, referring to a 2.5 percent raise for other city employees, to match the pay scale of public safety workers.

One consideration by the council was that the figure is not permanent. Members tried to balance an adequate increase with current financial difficulties.

“$75,000 is a comparable amount at this point; we can revisit this (issue) in four years,” Councilman Bailey Yelding said.