Pelham city employees will enjoy a 5 percent salary increase under a new budget approved by city council Monday night.

The $30.6 million budget will allow the city to hire 12 new firefighters who will work out of the new fire station in Ballantrae as well as four new police officers.

The budget also includes plans for a new senior center and a public safety center.

With an estimated $31.6 million in revenues, city officials do not expect problems meeting the $30.6 million budget.

Mayor Bobby Hayes points to the city’s growing surplus of $177,000.

The city’s budget increased from $27.5 million last year.

The same architecture firm that designed the new county jail in Columbiana has begun designs for the new Pelham Police Department.

The new station at the southwest corner of City Hall on U.S. Highway 31 will feature a small jail and police headquarters.

Currently, 76 employees with the police department work downstairs from City Hall.

&uot;We have absolutely outgrown the facility we have with the police department,&uot; Hayes said.

This spring, Pelham became the first city in the county to take advantage of a new senior community center initiative offered through the Shelby County Commission.

According to U.S. Census figures, 8.5 percent of Shelby County’s population in 2000 were over the age of 65.

The Shelby County Planning Commission expects the county’s senior population to more than double within the next 10 years.

The 6,000-square-foot senior center will be located on a 4.8-acre tract on Racquet Club Parkway.