The Huntsville City Council upheld the mayor’s veto of a pay raise for all council members at a meeting Thursday evening.
Just two weeks ago, the council approved the pay raise, but Mayor Tommy Battle vetoed it. The pay raise would have gone into effect in November of 2020.
Mayor Tommy Battle has vetoed a pay raise for himself multiple times now. In the last city council meeting, the pay raise passed with a 4 to 1 vote, but Battle vetoed it.
On Thursday, the city council members voted again. This time, it was a 3-2 vote still in favor of the pay raise. However, in order to overrule the mayor's veto, a 4-1 vote was needed.
Councilwoman Jennie Robinson and Councilman Bill Kling were the two who voted to uphold the veto.
District 2 Councilwoman Francis Akridge was for the pay raise, saying this is a full-time job.
"Where I stand is, it's time for everybody to rethink the future of what they expect from their city council person. And to continue to this narrative that it's quote a 'part-time job,' you really have to stop and think, why would somebody say that?" she said.
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