By Gregory Korte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

DOWNTOWN - Voting to overrule its own Finance Committee Wednesday, Cincinnati City Council decided to give hundreds of non-union city employees an across-the-board raise of 1.5 percent.

The raises will cost taxpayers $809,310 and are in addition to a 1.5 percent cost-of-living raise approved in December for the non-union employees, who mostly fill "middle management" positions.

"That was a vote for people," said Councilman Christopher Smitherman after the 6-3 vote. "As I talk to city employees, the morale level is low."

John Cranley, Pat DeWine and David Pepper voted against the raise, calling the move irresponsible at a time when the city faces an estimated $60 million budget deficit by 2008.

"The last thing we ought to be doing is spending every dime we can," DeWine said, accusing City Council of using a one-time $54 million windfall to "paper over" the budget deficit.

Mayor Charlie Luken accused him of using his tough-on-taxes stance to promote his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Hamilton County Commissioner.

"We get it. There's an election in 30 days," Luken said.

E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com