"Council Members [Consider] Raises in 2012 St. Joseph County Budget"

The South Bend Tribune reports.  Excerpt:

The St. Joseph County Council is considering an across-the-board raise for county employees next year for the first time in close to a decade.

During a budget meeting Tuesday, council members agreed to include a 3 percent raise for all county employees in the proposed 2012 county budget.

The decision adds about $750,000 to the proposed budget, which now stands at about $65.75 million.

Last year's approved budget totaled about $66 million.

Council members also considered a 2 percent raise, which would have added about $500,000 to the budget, in addition to no raise.