Chattanooga City Council wants more equity with pay raises

Councilman Russell Gilbert

The Chattanooga City Council is taking a second look at a 3 percent across-the-board pay raise for city employees.

Council members agreed today during a budget and finance committee meeting they did not want to do an across-the-board raise, but did not settle on an alternative.

Councilman Russell Gilbert proposed giving a dollar an hour raise to all employees, which he said would compensate lower paid workers more. Other council members suggested taking $1.5 million appropriated for civilian employees and longevity pay and instead spreading it out among civilians, fire and police.

The council will talk about the 2012-2013 budget again next week.

For more information, read tomorrow's edition of the Times Free Press.