EDITORIAL: Muncie mayor's wage freeze is a preview of things to come

The Star Press

Last week, Mayor Sharon McShurley said there likely would be no pay raises for city workers, including those is public safety, because of an expected drop in tax revenue.

The city administration filed 2009 salary measures for police officers, firefighters, city workers and other appointed and elected officials that included no pay raises. The base pay for public safety workers would be frozen at $41,970.

The city plans to file a 2009 budget that reflects the same spending as this year, with a $24.9 million general fund, even though the city is expected to lose $3.2 million in property-tax revenue next year. Officials say that without hard numbers, it's impossible to do more.