"Our budget is a moral document, and in no way can I vote yes for a raise at the expense of 56 people's lives," Hardesty says in a statement. "There is a fundamental issue if council votes to increase our own wages, at the same time when 56 people are slated to lose their jobs. Although I know that there are many hard working city employees that deserve this increase, many of these increases live at the higher end of the city's salary scale—while these layoffs live at the bottom."