SHERMAN, TX -- It will now be up to voters to decide if Sherman City Council members and the Mayor get a raise in their pay. A proposed amendment to the Sherman city charter would double the compensation for city council members. Shelby Levins reports.

The increase in pay wasn't the only amendment the council discussed Monday evening though. There were actually half a dozen proposed amendments discussed at the public hearing. Now all six amendments will be on the November ballot for voters to individually approve or reject.

The discussion of, and preliminary vote on five of six proposed amendments to the Sherman City Charter was unanimously in favor of placing them on the November ballot for voters to decide.

But when the discussion of city council pay came up, citizens spoke out.

"It's not about the money, it's about your service - you're serving the citizens of Sherman Texas – I should be an honor,” said former city council member Steve Jonse.

Jonse says he knows the value of the council members's time, but in challenging economic times, he doesn't think the amendment is right.

Mayor Bill Magers says the current pay rate was established back in 1983. He says it's time for a raise, and the potential increase from $50 to $100 per meeting for council members and $75 to$150 per meeting for the mayor, could increase city council involvement.

"The last two elections we've had no contested races. Folks that are having tough times want to serve their city. This gives them the opportunity - not to get rich, but to get reimbursed for time off work not in 1983 dollars but in 2010 dollars,” Mayor Magers explained.

But not all city council members agreed with the proposed increase amendment, because it also includes a clause to expand the pay to include not just city council meetings, but other board meetings council members are appointed to.

"The council pay increase I think is fair, I just personally felt getting paid for additional meeting was beyond what I'd like to do,” Council member Cary Wacker said.

In the end, city council members all voted in favor of an ordinance that places all six amendments on the November ballot for voters to decide. That includes an amendment that would move local elections from May to November.

"These six amendments really do two things - they reduced cost and increase representation for the citizens of Sherman, Texas,” Mayor Magers said.

Mayor Magers says the amendment regarding pay increase would not take effect until there is an across-the-board pay increase for all city employees. So if voters approve the measure, the earliest it would take effect would be 2012.