During Monday night’s City Council meeting, motions were unanimously passed proclaiming the November General Election Day and Juneteenth as city holidays, starting with 2020. City manager Tony Sears confirmed the two additional city holidays would be paid and later confirmed to Neuse News that “the salaries for a single day across all budgets is $53,604.17.”

Statements during the meeting attested there would be no “extra cost” to the taxpayers for the two new annual holidays. Citizens took to social media following the meeting suggesting that emergency services employees should get paid time and a half for holiday pay, which potentially would be an extra cost for the city in direct contrast to the vote’s portrayal.