Council Votes Against Proposed Budget

The Cheyenne City Council voted 5-4 Tuesday on second reading against the proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budget.

Raises for city employees continue to be a bone of contention. By a 5-4 vote the council voted to change Mayor Rick Kaysen's proposed 2.25 % proposed pay increase to a line item. The raise would wait until results of an employee investment study are complete and then implement the pay raise for employees who are determined to  be receiving pay that is at least 2.25% below market value. Kaysen has said he considers the raises necessary to keep valuable employees working for the city, and also that he sees the study and employee raises as seperate issues.

After the change was made Kaysen voted against the amended budget proposal, joining council members Jimmy Valdez, Georgia Broyles, Jim Brown and Bryan Cook as no votes. The remaining members of the council voted for the budget, except for Council President Mark Rinne  who was absent. Because of the council vote against the budget. one of the no votes will now have to vote to reconsider the issue in order to meet a late June deadline for approving a budget. The new budget takes effect on July1.