HURLEY -- The Hurley City Council approved pay increases for the city's nine non-union employees at a special meeting Monday.

The current hourly rates for those nine employees range from $6.98 to $23.06. With the pay increase, those employees will be paid $7.19 to $23.76 per hour.

Mayor Joseph Pinardi suggested that city clerk Linda Ryskewecz receive a $1-per-hour raise and deputy clerk Kathleen Byrns a 75-cents-per-hour raise. Pinardi said the clerk's office handles many aspects of the city's functioning, and the raises are well deserved. Ryskewecz will be paid $22.33 and Byrns, $17.50 per hour, in 2009.

The special raises for Ryskewecz and Byrns, as well as the 3 percent for the other non-union employees, were approved unanimously by the council. The council also discussed ways to trim the city's 2009 budget.

Council members agreed that having a contingency fund for emergencies in any department would be better than simply increasing the budget for that department.

The council will hold a hearing on Nov. 11 to approve the 2009 budget.

The office assistant position at the city clerk's office will be vacant in February 2009. Ryskewecz will develop a job description and begin advertising the opening in December. She said she would like the candidate to be knowledgeable in several computer programs and a certified election worker.