St. Louis County Employees Might Receive Raises in 2013

Raises for St. Louis County employees are being discussed by officials during this year's budgeting process. 

It would be the first raise county employees received in four years.

“We’re in the first third of the budget process and talking about all of the different options here,” said Mac Scott, spokesperson for County Executive Charlie Dooley. He added that a raise isn't certain yet.

“We got some things (last year) that were better than we thought they’d be,” he said.

Councilman Steve Stenger (D-South County) reinforced the possibility during a meeting on Thursday.

“The St. Louis County police are the best in the area, but we sure haven’t been paying them like it,” he said. “Crime is going down and their pay is staying the same.”

The pay raises would come one year after , saving approximately $4 million for the county.

The occurred after a heated debate over the 2012 county budget. Dooley submitted a budget to the County Council that called for 173 eliminated positions and the closing of 23 St. Louis County parks.

Six of the seven council members said they would not approve the budget, leading to the formation of  headed by now-council chairman Mike O’Mara (D-Florissant).

 at council meetings, the county executive .

When the county reported a $3.2 million surplus at the end of 2011, Stenger called the layoffs unnecessary.

“That to me was one of the worst things I have ever seen anyone do in government,” he said. “To fire 20 people and basically sacrifice them to prove a point.”

Stenger has hinted at .