TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) – The biggest item for the Tuscaloosa City Council meeting is the city’s budget for the new fiscal year, with will come to a vote Tuesday.
The budget proposed by Mayor Walt Maddox is around $280 million, nearly $20 million more than last year’s. One reason for the increase is potentially big raises for city workers.
Maddox said the city wants to attract employees through competitive pay and benefits.
The proposed budget includes a 10.1 percent pay increase for employees who are no in public safety positions such as police or firefighters. Employees in public safety would get an 11 percent increase in pay.
Maddox said the city is competing against the University of Alabama and Mercedes Benz for employees.
“We felt that was important. We’re in a very tight job market here with Mercedes and the University of Alabama,” Maddox said. “For us to continue to deliver services at the highest level, we need the best employees to make it happen.”
Tuesday’s city council meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Tuscaloosa City Hall.
If the vote to pass the budget is unanimous, the budget passes automatically. However, if that doesn’t happen, the council can vote on it again a week from Tuesday at next week’s city council meeting.
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