Charlotte, North Carolina News
Articles 71 - 80 of most recent articles
Undercover officer nabs 3 men breaking into home 2:01 PM
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WCNC.com – May 15, 2008 7:40 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
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S.C. May Let Motorcycles Run Red Lights
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WSOCTV.com – May 15, 2008 6:11 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
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BofA CEO: More Consolidation Coming In Banking Industry
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WSOCTV.com – May 15, 2008 6:09 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
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Slain CMPD officers honored in Washington 1:33 PM
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WCNC.com – May 15, 2008 5:40 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
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News Alert: Pedestrian struck on I-85 1:10 PM
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NC Attorney General Warns Of IRS E-mail Scam
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WSOCTV.com – May 15, 2008 5:07 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
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Pedestrian Struck On Northeast Charlotte Interstate RampA pedestrian was hit by a car on the ramp from Interstate 85 to Interstate 485 just after noon Thursday.
WSOCTV.com – May 15, 2008 4:52 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
SC attorney general unveiling hot line for dogfighting tips 12:12 PM
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WCNC.com – May 15, 2008 4:40 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
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City Council looks at boosting its own pay
As the economy slows and city employees face smaller pay raises this year, the city manager has proposed a 27 percent increase in compensation for council members.The adjustment includes a new $4,000 car allowance. It would boost each council member's total pay, which also includes expense and technology allowances, from $23,463 to $33,645. The mayor's pay would increase by 19 percent to $39,900.The proposal has met resistance from Republicans on the council and is not guaranteed to pass.City Manager Curt Walton said the suggested increases bring the salaries more in line with similarly sized cities around the country. Those cities range from Kansas City, Mo., where council members make $64,735, to Oklahoma City, where they make $12,000."It's really, in my mind, a gap that we should have closed a long time ago," Walton said.By comparison, Walton has proposed an average, merit-based increase of 3.5 percent for city employees. City officials have acknowledged that many of Charlotte's lowest-paid workers are underpaid compared with the market for their jobs. Officials say they're working on that problem.Meanwhile, garbage truck drivers, transportation workers and utility crew members have complained about their salaries at recent public meetings. They have said the increase in gas prices is forcing people to sell their cars, work more than one job, and worry about paying their utility bills.Harry Morris, a street maintenance worker who asked the City Council for a raise Monday, said it was "disheartening" to learn about the council pay raise proposal."What's the rationale?" he said. "You've got the same economic impact (that) hits the City Council hits city workers as well."Normally, mayor and City Council salaries increase at a rate that is half the average increase for city workers, Walton said. This year, under that system, the elected officials would get a 1.75 percent boost.At that rate, Walton said, "they've fallen further and further behind."Council members disagreed about the proposal, with the board's four Republicans saying they would vote against it. Among them was councilman John Lassiter, who suggested at a budget meeting Wednesday that the increases be cut."There are several unfunded issues that are in front of us that are better than giving me a couple bucks," he said.Democrat Susan Burgess, who has been an advocate for city worker raises, said the proposed salary increases for the City Council and mayor were reasonable. She said the boost would help encourage a wider variety of people to run for office."The lost wages from time taken away from your work for everything on City Council makes it impossible for so many people," she said.Democrat Anthony Foxx said he wasn't sure how he would vote on the matter, but he was willing to think about it."I struggle with that because on the one hand, nobody puts a gun to our head asking us to run for office," he said. "On the other hand, the traditional increases for council salaries are at a percentage of what normal employees get."
Charlotte.com – May 15, 2008 4:16 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
As the economy slows and city employees face smaller pay raises this year, the city manager has proposed a 27 percent increase in compensation for council members.The adjustment includes a new $4,000 car allowance. It would boost each council member's total pay, which also includes expense and technology allowances, from $23,463 to $33,645. The mayor's pay would increase by 19 percent to $39,900.The proposal has met resistance from Republicans on the council and is not guaranteed to pass.City Manager Curt Walton said the suggested increases bring the salaries more in line with similarly sized cities around the country. Those cities range from Kansas City, Mo., where council members make $64,735, to Oklahoma City, where they make $12,000."It's really, in my mind, a gap that we should have closed a long time ago," Walton said.By comparison, Walton has proposed an average, merit-based increase of 3.5 percent for city employees. City officials have acknowledged that many of Charlotte's lowest-paid workers are underpaid compared with the market for their jobs. Officials say they're working on that problem.Meanwhile, garbage truck drivers, transportation workers and utility crew members have complained about their salaries at recent public meetings. They have said the increase in gas prices is forcing people to sell their cars, work more than one job, and worry about paying their utility bills.Harry Morris, a street maintenance worker who asked the City Council for a raise Monday, said it was "disheartening" to learn about the council pay raise proposal."What's the rationale?" he said. "You've got the same economic impact (that) hits the City Council hits city workers as well."Normally, mayor and City Council salaries increase at a rate that is half the average increase for city workers, Walton said. This year, under that system, the elected officials would get a 1.75 percent boost.At that rate, Walton said, "they've fallen further and further behind."Council members disagreed about the proposal, with the board's four Republicans saying they would vote against it. Among them was councilman John Lassiter, who suggested at a budget meeting Wednesday that the increases be cut."There are several unfunded issues that are in front of us that are better than giving me a couple bucks," he said.Democrat Susan Burgess, who has been an advocate for city worker raises, said the proposed salary increases for the City Council and mayor were reasonable. She said the boost would help encourage a wider variety of people to run for office."The lost wages from time taken away from your work for everything on City Council makes it impossible for so many people," she said.Democrat Anthony Foxx said he wasn't sure how he would vote on the matter, but he was willing to think about it."I struggle with that because on the one hand, nobody puts a gun to our head asking us to run for office," he said. "On the other hand, the traditional increases for council salaries are at a percentage of what normal employees get."
Charlotte.com – May 15, 2008 4:16 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
Report: S.C. Fire Dept. Lacked Tactics, Training
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WSOCTV.com – May 15, 2008 3:13 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
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