Durham's City Council approved a 2% across-the-board raise plus step increases for city employees, but firefighters and other staff pushed back over pay compression leaving veterans earning barely more than new hires.
City Council approved a 2% raise plus step increases for employees effective July 1, but firefighters remain frustrated over pay compression where five-year veterans earn only $5,000 more than new hires.
Durham will increase street paving funding to $15 million and allocate $10 million for sidewalk repairs, targeting 30 lane miles and 7,000 linear feet of repairs to address an $80-90 million backlog.
Longmeadow Pool will stay closed through the fiscal year due to 60 years of deferred maintenance and inspection failures, while the city assesses whether repairs are economically feasible.