From Staff Reports

Asheville City Council on May 22 voted 5-2 to approve a so-called ìliving wageî plan for all city full-time and part-time employees.

The largely symbolic move will have no budget impact because city workers already are paid at the planís level ó a minimum of $10.86 per hour, or $9.50 with benefits.

Councilman Brownie Newman lamented that there are people in Asheville who are working full time and not making enough to support a family. While he noted the policies approved by council apply just to the city, Newman said, ìI do see this as a starting point.î

Voting against the living-wage rule were Jan Davis and Carl Mumpower.

The plan will not apply to more than 200 seasonal workers in jobs that include lifeguard and park maintenance.
In other action, council:

ï Voted 4-3 to consider making payment of the living wage a factor in selecting contractors. The dissenting votes were cast by Mayor Terry Bellamy, Davis and Mumpower.

ï Voted 4-3 to reject a proposal for a 2.2 percent automatic annual pay increase, linked to inflation, that would cost $1.3 million. The three who voted unsucessfully for the measure included Vice Mayor Holly Jones, Brownie Newman, Bryan Freeborn and Robin Cape.

ï Vote 4-3 to work with potential contractors and promote living-wage payments to employees if the city does not move to make them a factor in awarding contracts. The dissenting votes were cast by Bellamy, Davis and Mumpower.