"It's not that we don't think you deserve a raise. It's been nine years," said Jolene Dearden, who chairs the city's budget-review committee. "But most of us feel this is not the year for a 15 percent raise."

At Wednesday's public hearing, the five-member City Council deliberated over adding $13,000 to their 2005-06 budget - $2,600 apiece for the purchase of medical benefits for those members who need it.

"I respect you greatly, but I oppose a pay raise done in this way at this time. Very few people give themselves a raise," said Taylorsville resident Dana Barbour. "I believe a committee should make this recommendation - it should come from outside this body."

Councilman Morris Pratt, who first floated the idea in a June 1 council meeting, defended the need for increase.

"The statement that this isn't the year - we're not talking about a lot of money, and every year is a tight year," Pratt said.

Councilman Les Matsumura found the idea distasteful.

"I oppose the concept or thought of doing this at any time. It wasn't my intent to give myself a raise two to three years after being elected," Matsumura said. "To me, no time is a good time to do this."

Councilman Bud Catlin pushed for the $13,000 to be set aside to fund a professional study of wages and benefits for elected officials and hired employees.

But Councilman Jerry RechÂtenbach countered that such a study would cost four times the amount under consideration.

Mayor Janice Auger suggested that the study be done in-house by the city's human resource specialist to cut costs, an idea that Catlin disputed.

"We could put an RFP [request for a proposal] out there and see how much it costs. People do this professionally," Catlin said. "Let's get a fair and objective look at it."

In a 3-2 vote, the council members chose to keep the $13,000 in their budget but to earmark it for a study rather than for a pay increase for medical benefits.

Taylorsville resident Mary Beth Bingham, who attended Wednesday's meeting to voice concerns on another issue, had a warning for the council.

"Whenever people fund themselves, and the population doesn't hear about it until later, election time comes around and they'll ask you why you did it," Bingham said. "You'll have to justify it then."

cmckitrick@sltrib.com