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MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING <br />OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS <br />August 19, 2024 <br />The City Council of the City of Paris met for a special session at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, <br />August 5, 2024, in the Council Chamber, 107 E. Kaufman, Paris, Texas. <br />Present: Mayor: Mihir Pankaj <br />Mayor Pro -Tem: Gary Savage <br />Council Members: Mickey Ellis, Rebecca Norment, Alix Putnam, and <br />Rudy Kessel <br />City Staff: Rob Vine, Interim City Manager; Stephanie Harris, <br />City Attorney; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Gene <br />Anderson, Finance Director; Rich Salter, Police <br />Chief, Todd Mittge, City Engineer; Osei Amo- <br />Mensah, City Planner; Thomas McMonagle, Fire <br />Chief, Tom Hunt, Municipal Judge; Danny <br />Rowell, Interim Utilities Director; Connie <br />Lawman, Library Director; Duke McGee, Building <br />Official, Paul Strahan, Airport Manager; Celso <br />Arrieta, IT Manager, Sandy Collard, HR Director; <br />and Clyde Crews, Fire Marshal <br />Absent: Council Member: Shatara Moore <br />1. Call meeting to order. <br />Mayor Pankaj called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. <br />2. Invocation. <br />Finance Director Gene Anderson gave the invocation. <br />3. Citizens' Forum. <br />Tommy Haynes, 3095 Abbott — he spoke in support of a COLA for retirees, citing most <br />of them had served the City their entire lives. He asked the retirees to stand with him. <br />4. Discuss and provide direction on the FY 2024-2025 budget for the City of Paris. <br />Interim City Manager Rob Vine said staff understood the top priority as being a salary <br />increase for the police and he also said they would be presenting information about a COLA for <br />retirees. Next, Finance Director Gene Anderson explained three options which included police <br />salary increase, updated service credit and a COLA for retirees. He reviewed option A, which <br />would increase the starting salary for police officers to $66,000.00 and said this would move <br />