POINT PLEASANT — The talk around town has recently centered on whether or not the employees of the City of Point Pleasant received or will receive pay raises.

Last week, council held a special meeting to discuss the pay/salary ordinance. All council members were present with the exception of Councilmen Robert Doeffinger and Marshall Bonecutter. During the meeting, council went into executive session for more than an hour to discuss personnel matters. In Saturday’s edition of the Point Pleasant Register, it was reported that no pay increases were given.

City Clerk Amber Tatterson emphasized that the ordinance shows the pay scale of what a municipal officer and employee can make. According to Tatterson, since the ordinance change was made public, several employees have asked if they will no longer receive raises. Tatterson said that although no increases were given following the meeting, employees can still receive raises.

According to Tatterson, the ordinance outlines each job category, which will have a scale that allows for future pay raises as well as advancement. The scale allows council to approve pay raises without having to amend the ordinance each time.

“Council just fixed an ordinance — something that has been overlooked for over 40 years,” Tatterson said. “This ordinance will allow the city to remedy this omission and comply with the provisions of the West Virginia Code section 8-5-12, which states ‘that the governing body of each municipality shall, by ordinance, fix or cause to be fixed, the salary or compensation of every municipal officer and employee: provided, that the salary of any officer shall not be increased or diminished during his term of office.’”

The next regularly scheduled council meeting is slated for 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8.