Under Councilman Bryan Wooley's proposal, officers would receive a starting salary of around $36,000. The mayor has criticized the plan, saying the money is not available. And, after a long debate, the council approved the pay increase, by a vote of four to three.

But that vote didn't come without some heated debate.

"Unless you engage in the kind of tortured math that Mr. Wooley is engaging in, you have to go and make real cuts and real budgets that end up affecting real people," Mayor Glover said.

Mayor Glover says he's the number one champion for every city employee to get a raise, but he says the money simply isn't there. Even Police Chief Henry Whitehorn rejected it, saying his earlier proposal for a pay raise was a better plan.

The mayor has hinted he may veto the pay increase. Councilwoman Joyce Bowman says the council doesn't have the five votes to override the mayor's veto.