The proposed upcoming fiscal year budget for the city contains no recommendation for a tax increase.

It does, however, call for freezes and no increases in certain items, which prompted Mayor Emery Doughtie and Councilman Greg Lawson to call for reduced or no council salaries.

Doughtie and Lawson are concerned about the proposed budget’s call for not funding longevity pay for a year.

The proposed $14,341,526 budget includes no cost of living or merit increases for employees and does not include an increase for health insurance premiums. It also calls for freezing the police chief position left open by the retirement of Jeff Hinton.

While no vote was taken on the mayor and Lawson’s suggestion during today’s budget work session, Doughtie suggested slashing council’s salary by 25 percent.

Lawson, who will not seek reelection when his term expires, countered, “I would like the council not take any salary for one year to recoup the cut in longevity. They are doing all the hard work and are cut every year. If we can give our salaries up, that would be what I would like to see.”

After the meeting, Lawson told reporters he would like to see the entire city council budget cut, which, with salaries, insurance, training and other items is recommended to be $58,844 for the upcoming fiscal year.

Lawson said that is money that could go back to employees.

Councilman Carl Ferebee said he was not ready to support such a recommendation until the entire budget has been reviewed, something City Manager Paul Sabiston said council and staff will spend the next four to five weeks doing.

“I would like to see longevity put back in the budget,” council member Ernest Bobbitt said. “They are doing the work. I don’t think we should take more from them. Four years ago we were cutting people and laying them off. There’s some other things we can do.”