Tekoa council approves raise for cemetery maintenance workers to $20 an hour

The Tekoa City Council unanimously approved an increase in cemetery maintenance wages from $18.00 to $20.00 per hour.

Councilmember Mike Hale moved to raise the wage and Councilmember Shelly Ausmus seconded; the motion passed unanimously. Mayor Roy Schulz had described how the cemetery endowment covers part of wages and other costs, and said he would like the city to "consider purchasing equipment, so they don’t have to use their own equipment." Councilmember Pete Martin reported the endowment committee agreed to contribute to the wage increase. The change is intended to address staffing and compensation for cemetery workers and may be coupled with a later discussion about equipment purchases to reduce employee out-of-pocket expenses.

The vote was recorded as "motion passed unanimously" in the minutes; the council did not attach a specific effective date beyond the motion. Councilmembers did not specify an exact budget line in the public discussion during this meeting; staff will need to reflect the change in next financial updates.