Coweta County's

proposed budget will now feature an additional pay raise for some of the

county's lower-paid employees.

The County

Commission decided Tuesday in a budget public hearing session to give

a 3.5-percent raise to employees making under $32,000.

Commissioner

Vernon "Mutt" Hunter suggested the increase to try and lower

the pay gap for some of the county's employees.

The $33.7 million

general fund budget includes a 2.5-percent cost-of-living adjustment for

the rest of the county employees, along with the state-mandated cost-of-living

increases for constitutional officers.

The commission

also restored more than $13,000 in funding to the Newnan-Coweta Library.

The county always matches the funds that the city of Newnan provides.

Earlier in the week, the Newnan City Council had approved more than $303,000

for the library, so the county matched the funds.

Newnan-Coweta

Library Board member Joe Powell said the money was necessary to bump up

the pay at the library.

"We've

got one employee who's worked there for four years and is just making

$18,000," he said.

Finance director

Rick Smoot also suggested that capital equipment be purchased from the

county's reserve fund. He recommended transferring $1.5 million from the

general fund balance at the end of the year to buy the equipment, such

as a new pumper and tanker for the fire department.

Also included

in this year's budget is $10,000 each for the Senoia and Grantville libraries.

The final budget

is expected to be approved at the Jan. 7 meeting.