Kincaid budgets record pay raise. Council see no sin in signage. And gaybashing is not OK anymore.

Mayor Bernard Kincaid introduced his 2007/2008 budget to the Birmingham City Council today, including in it a substantial pay raise for all city employees, including police officers, firefighters and other public safety personnel. The city will raise all employee pay by 4 percent this year, in addition to paying increases in health insurance premiums. The increase, coupled with the insurance costs, is projected to total $10.5 million in additional expenditures in the coming year.

Also, the city will convert a $200 per month clothing and equipment allowance for public safety personnel to salary. As a result, the city will spend approximately $233,000 more next year on police and firefighter pensions. According to the mayor, these two adjustments will increase public safety pay by about 12.5 percent.

Comparisons provided by the mayor’s office showed that the raise would move Birmingham police pay from eighth in the region to fourth in the region, behind Mountain Brook, Trussville and Homewood.

Police and firefighter union leaders said that the raise would be a “good start.”

Last year the Birmingham City Council attempted to raise public safety pay, but Kincaid successfully challenged the move in court, saying the council had exceeded its legal authority under the Mayor-Council Act. Police and firefighter union leaders said last week that they intended to appeal the decision. However, the council has not said whether it would challenge the judge’s order.

The city would make up the difference in pay by eliminating 111 positions that are currently vacant. The proposed operating budget for Birmingham next year would be $328,600, an increase of about 4 percent from this year. All outside boards and agencies would receive “level funding,” equal to the 2006/2007 budget.

In other business, the council rejected a moratorium on LED animated billboards, which had been proposed by Councilor Valerie Abbott. Abbott had asked for a six-week delay on the issue, but the council rejected the extension and killed the proposal outright.

And in a complete reversal of its position six weeks ago, the council voted unanimously to approve an Inclusion Resolution condemning all forms of discrimination.

In March, Councilors Roderick Royal, Joel Montgomery, Steven Hoyt and Miriam Witherspoon voted against the resolution, because it equated gay rights with civil rights.

Today the resolution, which would make Birmingham a member of the Partnership for Inclusive Cities, passed without debate.

And Councilor Joel Montgomery was still missing, his six consecutive absense since he was arrested on a charge of public intoxication April 7.

— Kyle Whitmire