North Little Rock aldermen ended their activities for the year Tuesday night by approving 2 percent raises for most city employees and for themselves, pay increases that were already included in the city budget for 2017.
The six resolutions unanimously approved cover nonuniformed employees, full-time salaried workers, fire chiefs, firefighters, police officers and police supervisors, and the city's 11 elected officials.
The pay increases for police officers and police supervisors -- sergeants, lieutenants and captains -- will be based on revised salary schedules agreed to by police unions. All other raises will be 2 percent.
The raises will be effective as of Sunday, the beginning of the new year.
Because the City Council had agreed on including the 2 percent raises in next year's $66.3 million budget during a workshop early last month, aldermen didn't discuss any of the resolutions before voting Tuesday. The City Council approved the 2017 budget at its Dec. 12 meeting.
Alderman Charlie Hight did ask that each of the resolutions involving pay increases be voted on separately, instead of staying on the council's consent agenda, normally a group of resolutions voted on as one item.
This is the second consecutive year that city's eight aldermen have approved themselves a raise after not having their pay increased since 2003. Aldermen, who are considered part-time city employees, had their pay raised by 3 percent, to $10,609, as of Jan. 1 of this year. City employees also received 3 percent increases for this year.
Aldermen had previously been excluded from salary increases that were allocated for the three full-time elected officials -- mayor, city attorney and city clerk-treasurer. The aldermen's increase for 2017 will raise each one's yearly pay by $213, or to $10,822.
Alderman Murry Witcher sponsored the legislation to raise the pay for all elected officials, explaining that the increase is a "nominal amount" for all. Mayor Joe Smith sponsored the other five resolutions.
Currently, City Attorney Jason Carter's salary is $131,329; Smith's salary is $120,000; and City Clerk-Treasurer Diane Whitbey's is $71,000. For this year, Smith and Whitbey received 3 percent raises, then another $17,000 annually on top of that for Smith and another $5,000 annually for Whitbey, to bring their pay more in line with similar officials in other cities, on the basis of an Arkansas Municipal League survey.
At meeting's end, several council members paid tribute to Ward 3 Alderman Bruce Foutch, who is leaving the council as his term ends this week. Ron Harris, who won the open Ward 3 seat in the Nov. 8 general election, will be sworn in on Sunday.
Foutch announced during the spring that he wouldn't seek re-election because of his diagnosis of bone marrow cancer. He has been on the City Council since 2011.
Foutch thanked his fellow council members and "every employee in every department," calling all "professionals at every level in every department." He also thanked his wife, Jan, for being "my strength."
"It's been a real honor, and my privilege, to serve with all of you and serve all of you in the city," Foutch said.
Metro on 12/28/2016