Budget plan boosts Loris council pay 30 percent

By DEUCE NIVEN

& JENN CAUSEY

     Mayor Todd Harrelson and members of Loris City Council will be getting a 30 percent pay hike under a budget proposal for the new fiscal year outlined during a budget workshop Thursday.

     City employees may be getting raises, but there is no indication in the budget proposal of any significant amounts.

     City Administrator Damon Kempski said there will be limited raises, of varying amounts, but would not say specifically where.

     While all of the budget decisions may be effective July 1, the start of the new fiscal year, that won’t be official until later in the month because council will miss the June 30 deadline for budget adoption spelled out in state law.

     It’s all a matter of timing and advertising.

     Council had scheduled and advertised a public hearing on the budget for Monday of this week. That, Councilman Michael Suggs told council, violated city law that required publication in a newspaper of the public notice for at least two consecutive weeks, with the hearing taking place at least 15 days after the first notice.

     City Administrator Damon Kempski and City Clerk/Treasurer Kenya Wright said they were unaware of the law. Council rescheduled the public hearing for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at the Loris Public Safety Building, with a special meeting of council to follow at 6 p.m.

     For more on this story see today’s Tabor-Loris Tribune in print and online.