Fayette approves staff pay raises

Fayette County’s municipal employees will get a 2 percent cost-of-living raise effective Nov. 1, following a 3-2 vote by the Board of Commissioners Thursday. The $471,457 cost will come mostly from the county’s general fund. County Manager Steve Rapson said that a $1-2 million increase in this year’s property tax digest would more than offset the cost of the increase. Chairman Charles Oddo said the raises were justified and sustainable; Commissioners Steve Brown and Randy Ognio voted against them, citing the current low inflation rate and an “adequate” pay increase last year.