The Brookhaven Board of Aldermen were able to nail down somenumbers for the 2009-10 budget at Thursday night’s work session,but one large issue was left unresolved: salary and raises for cityworkers and officials.

Mayor Les Bumgarner said since Public Works Director SteveMoreton had taken on several new responsibilities in the last year,he should receive a fitting pay raise. Otherwise raises should notbe given this year based on the economy.

“I think we need to give you one, and nobody else,” Ward ThreeAlderwoman Mary Wilson said to Bumgarner.

Wilson’s husband, Board of Supervisors President the Rev. JerryWilson, ran against Bumgarner for mayor. He has made publiccomments suggesting he may run for the mayor’s chair again.

At one point, Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell had tried to holdoff discussion of “things I consider personnel matters” involvingindividual salaries, for an executive session.

“I say let’s do something for the mayor and for Steve, and thena 3 percent raise for all the other city employees,” Maxwellsaid.

Several officials disagreed.

“I don’t see how we can afford to do that,” Bumgarner said.

Maxwell argued that the city could afford to give “33 percentraises” when they recently chose new department heads in Fire ChiefTony Weeks and Street Department Superintendent Wilmer Butler, bothof whom were promoted from inside their departments. He went on toargue that the cost of living has gone up, so everyone deserves atleast a 3 percent raise.

“Except the board of aldermen. We don’t deserve one. I don’twant one,” added Ward One Alderman Dorsey Cameron.

Maxwell argued that 3 percent added to aldermen’s salaries wouldonly amount to around $3,000 more a year. The alderman appeared tobe talking about the board as a whole as 3 percent raise for anindividual alderman would be around $452 a year and the raise costfor the overall board would be around $3,100 a year.

“I don’t care if it came to $1,000, with the economy the way itis now, a raise for us is just greedy,” Cameron in response toMaxwell. “It looks like we’re trying to rake in what we can. That’swhat they’re going to look at.”

Maxwell pointed to a DAILY LEADER online poll that asks “Duringthe current economic recession do you think it prudent thatBrookhaven officials are discussing pay raises and health carebenefits for themselves and city workers?” He said the 70-pluspercent that had answered the question, “No,” did not understandthe nuances of juggling a city budget.

“I’ve had some people that have confronted me in the postoffice, saying, ‘You don’t need to give anybody a pay raise, don’tneed to do anything with insurance,’ and they haven’t sat in ourshoes to understand the whole problem,” he said.

Ward Four Alderman Shirley Estes disagreed.

“When we say we shouldn’t be talking about it, don’t you thinkwhat that means is that we need to be holding the line?,” sheasked.

Bumgarner told the board that if everyone picks one thing outabout the budget that he or she disagrees with, the board wouldnever pass a budget.

“Well, we may not,” Maxwell said, who added that he will notvote to approve the budget unless a 3 percent raise is left in thenumbers for all city employees.

Ward Six Alderman David Phillips said he would not vote for theraise.

“I’m not going to support an increase. It’s irresponsible,” hesaid.

Board members decided to talk more about wages at another worksession planned for Tuesday night after the public hearing on thebudget.

The board also decided to raise water and sewer rates 50 cents amonth each, and solid waste 50 cents.

They budgeted $320,000 for paving, so that each alderman and themayor have $40,000 to use toward paving needs.

Wilson opposed the mayor and Alderman at large Karen Sullivan’sreceiving paving money, saying it isn’t fair that they would haveany since they both live in Ward Four.

“With three people sitting around the board living in Ward Four,that’s $120,000,” she said.

The mayor countered that last year when he was alderman atlarge, he didn’t spend any of his money in Ward Four.

The city’s contract with Waste Management will be extended foranother three years, and another $60,000 will be added to theRecreation Department’s budget since they will be taking over thesenior citizens center when it is finished as well as managing arental hall at Bicentennial park.

There is money budgeted for two new police cars, officialssaid.

Bumgarner also discussed the possibility of phasing cemeterydepartment workers into other departments and contracting out someof the maintenance work, which could save the city as much as$86,000 in a year.

The public hearing on the budget is Tuesday at 6 p.m. in thecity boardroom. It is open to citizens, who will be allowed to askquestions and make comments.