Oxford City Council unanimously voted to increase employee salaries by 3% and to purchase three new police cars, among other items approved at a council meeting this week.

All city employees will receive a cost of living pay increase of 3% under the 2023 salary ordinance approved by the council. As well, “the city manager is hereby authorized to increase an employee’s salary not to exceed 5% within the same position per calendar year,” according to the ordinance.

Wages for some hourly employees will be increased to conform with the state’s $10.10 minimum wage.

The ordinance increases the number of full-time city employees from 124 to 127. This includes the addition of one new police officer and the promotion of two part-time workers to full-time jobs. 

Council also approved the purchase of three Ford Police Interceptor utility vehicles from Montrose Auto Group, one marked and two unmarked. The order was originally to have cost $109,000, but that order was canceled by the dealership, Lt. Geoff Robinson said. 

When the company redid the order, with the model now 2023 hybrid Ford Interceptors, the total came to $132,000.

“Unfortunately, the cost is a little more than what we had originally anticipated for this year,” he said. 

The three vehicles are expected to arrive in January.