The question of a raise for employees of the City of Gray was a topic brought up at a called meeting of the city’s Personnel Committee.
Mayor Pro Tem James Collins called the May 25 meeting to order and immediately addressed the salary issue. He noted that the Jones County Board of Commissioners gave county employees a 4 percent across the board increase at their May 17 meeting, with the raise to begin immediately. Collins said other surrounding cities
Collins said other surrounding cities and counties had also given employee raises because of the recent increase in inflation. He said he had spoken with city department heads, and each said they could absorb the salary increase in their current budgets.
“I would like to see us vote on it at our next council meeting,” he said.
The mayor pro tem noted that he spoke to each committee member about the pay increase before the meeting. He also invited the department heads to the meeting, and all were in attendance.
City Clerk Cindy Yancey said in order not to throw off the employee pay scale, the increase needed to in increments of 1-1/2 percent. She said it could be 3 percent of 4-1/2 percent.
Collins said the rate of inflation for last month was 8 percent.
“We have a great group of employees, and we need to show we appreciate them,” he said.
Councilman David Tufts asked if the council did 3 percent now, could they do the remaining another increase end of the year?
Gray Police Chief Adam Lowe said he was sure his department could handle the increase and he volunteered to work on the pay scale for all employees so the 4 percent could be added without messing up the current pay scale.
Tufts asked for that to be done as soon as possible, and members agreed by consensus to place the pay increase on the agenda for the June 6 Council Meeting.
The meeting was then adjourned to enter into closed session to discuss a personnel issue.
