Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

VALLEY — City of Valley employees will be getting pay raises come Dec. 1. On Monday, the city council unanimously approved a three percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for full-time and part-time employees.

City employees who worked a full year for the city during the COVID pandemic will receive an additional 2% raise. This portion of the raise will be covered by American Rescue Plan funds. The city has gotten a little over $2.1 million from the federal government in these funds.

The city has a total of 75 full-time and 28 part-time workers.

In a 6-2 vote, the council approved an incentive for employees who receive the vaccination for COVID-19. Any employee who is fully vaccinated by Dec. 1, 2021, will receive a $100 bonus. They must provide the city with proof of full vaccination, which is possible via a COVID-19 vaccination record card.

Mayor Leonard Riley said about half of the city’s workers have gotten their COVID shots.

“The city council desires to take legally permissible action in order to create and maintain a safe working environment for its employees in light of the dangers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the approved resolution reads. “The council can take reasonable steps to encourage and promote the vaccinations for its employees. The council recognizes that getting vaccinated, especially for a relatively healthy person, is not only protecting the person, the person’s family and the person’s community, but it is particularly protecting those most vulnerable around us and combating the spread of the virus in the workplace.”

Joining Mayor Riley in voting for the resolution were council members Jim Clark, Randall Maddux, Marquetta Madden, Henry Cooper and Jimmy Gilson. Voting against it were Jim Jones and Kendall Andrews.