After three years of receiving no raises, Gahanna City Council has unanimously approved a 3-percent salary increase for 86 employees.

Human-resources director Sue Wadley said the raises would be retroactive to Jan. 1 for 51 full-time and 35 part-time employees. The increase will cost $105,492 for the year.

The Feb. 6 approval came several months after the administration recommended the increase for all employees who aren’t part of a bargaining unit.

Mayor Becky Stinchcomb said the employees haven’t received a raise in three years because of the difficult economy.

Wadley said many positions haven’t been filled, so employees are doing more with less. She said nonbargaining employees haven’t received raises since 2009. Moreover, she said, their insurance rates have increased, and they’ve received additional responsibilities and duties.

Read the full story in the Feb. 9 edition of ThisWeek Rocky Fork Enterprise.