The Fort Madison City Council has approved a five-percent raise for all non-union city employees, but not without a heated debate.
The Daily Democrat reports the vote came last week, after the council earlier had been considering a smaller increase.
On Monday, council members discussed a budget proposal that would have provided three-percent raises. A budget committee made up of Angela Roller, Matt Emmett, and Rusty Andrews had reviewed options for three, four, and five-percent increases, and ultimately recommended the three-percent plan.
But during Monday’s discussion, several council members pushed for more.
They asked City Manager Laura Liegois to provide updated financial projections showing what the city’s budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27 would look like if five-percent raises were approved instead.
After reviewing those figures, the council moved forward with the higher increase.
