City employees in Highland received some generous raises this month, but the item wasn’t without controversy. Some said the pay bump pay of 17 percent “looks bad,” with one Mark Falcone calling it “self-serving,” Highland News reports. If anything, he said, the money should have been spent on hiring additional deputies. Outgoing Councilwoman Jody Scott agreed.
The item was listed as part of the consent calendar, usually reserved for non-controversial items. It was approved on Nov. 22 just before the council’s new members are seated.
During the meeting, the Council also directed City Attorney Craig Steele to draft an ordinance prohibiting recreational marijuana sales. Medical marijuana sales are already banned in the city, but officials felt recreational pot needed to be addressed in light of Proposition 64.