The City Council approved a water-rate increase, discussed employee pay hikes and scheduled a November election during its July 9 meeting.After much debate, council members gave their approval to a 1.5 percent jump in water rates.City Administrator Stan Farmer introduced two different plans to city leaders.One involved the 1.5% increase across the board, while the other called for tiered increases, with a 0.5% jump per every 1,000 gallons used.The latter plan met with unanimous disapproval by those on the dais, with Councilman Tony Battle saying it penalized large households using more water than a single person or a couple.“If a ...