(THREE RIVERS) – Three Rivers City Manager Joe Bippus will receive a three percent wage increase.

Tuesday night, the Three Rivers City Commission voted 5-1 to approve the raise. This is in addition to the two percent cost of living increase Bippus received in July.

Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry voted against the wage increase.

Bippus has been the Three Rivers City Manager since 2000. A native of Three Rivers, Bippus has not received an increase in his base salary in the last 15 years, he has only received the cost of living increase.

It was suggested by Commissioner Chris Abel that in the future, the Commission look at giving Bippus a renewable performance incentive instead of an annual raise. This would be similar to merit-based incentives that many companies give to their management level employees.