ST. CHARLES • A mayoral pay raise of almost 13 percent was approved Tuesday night by the City Council, a day before the deadline set by the city charter.

The increase, to $70,000 from $62,000, will take effect after the April election. Incumbent Patti York plans to seek a fourth term then; state Rep. Sally Faith also may run for mayor.

The bill, which passed on a 9-1 vote, grants additional increases of 2.5 percent in each of the following three years, bringing the salary to $75,382 by 2014.

The measure was introduced by Council President Michael Klinghammer as a compromise after a proposed raise to $85,000 failed to get enough votes for passage at earlier meetings. Some lesser raises also had failed.

"The mayor's pay four years ago was set too low — for the amount of responsibilities the mayor's office has, with over 400 employees she is directly responsible for and with a budget of over $100 million a year," Klinghammer said before the meeting.

The only negative vote was from Councilman Dave Beckering, who has said the increase to $70,000 was still too much during a recession and a city budget crunch.

Under a city charter amendment in 2007, the office of mayor became a full-time position and took over day-to-day city operations from the city administrator, a post that was eliminated. A new job, director of administration, was created to assist the mayor.

Supporters pointed out that York's current pay is less than that of the department heads she supervises and is below the $65,000 average pay for all city employees.

Backers also said she is paid less than three other full-time St. Louis-area mayors who also are their cities' top administrator.

Beckering also has expressed concern with spending on pay boosts for city employees in general amid the recession.

The average pay of police officers and firefighters, who make up more than half of the city work force, increased by more than 8 percent this year. Other groups of employees had lesser average increases.

Those increases are due to a combination of step increases, union contracts and a study comparing city pay scales with those for similar jobs in other areas.

Flea market approved

The council also approved a large flea market and farmers market on the east side of Truman Boulevard south of Highway 370. The new Truman Markets expect to start operations Sept. 17 with space for more than 300 vendors in temporary tents.

Owners say it will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and on Monday holidays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; it will be closed in February and most of January. Eventually, a permanent 335,000-square-foot building with additional space will replace the tents.

The market will be on part of 99 acres where a warehouse-office complex was planned. Jim Zavradinos, one of the developers, said he still hopes for those kinds of buildings on the remainder of the site.

Another large flea market was approved a few months ago by St. Peters aldermen for a site near Interstate 70 and Spencer Road.