Board members with the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit agency (HART) decided on Monday morning that they will convene a separate meeting to deal with a proposed pay hike for HART's unionized workforce - well before they take a final vote on whether or not to increase the millage on September 26.
A special magistrate has recommended that members of the Amalgamated Transit Union be allowed a 1 percent pay raise - which would amount to roughly $300,000 (UPDATE: Originally CL reported that was $623,000. A separate step increase for ATU workers would amount to that number).
HART staff has already assessed that step increase into their new budget, but not the 1 percent pay increase. One of the fiscal hawks on the board, Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe, said he wanted to have the board vote up or down on that pay increase before board members vote on the fiscal year 2012 budget.
