The Pelham city council voted 3-2 Monday night to approve the city&8217;s $32.8 million budget amidst a war of words between council member Mike Dickens and mayor Bobby Hayes.

Dickens and council member Robert Sullivan voted against the 2007 budget while council members Rosemary Metcalf, Karyl Rice and Willard Payne voted in favor.

Prior to the vote, Dickens said he would not approve the budget because of a number of concerns he had regarding the way it was prepared and presented to the council by Hayes.

&8220;I will not vote for any budget that I have not had the proper opportunity to review,&8221; Dickens said. &8220;In my opinion the budget is the single most important thing we vote on during the year, and this council has not even discussed it as a group.&8221;

Hayes responded to Dickens, stating that Dickens could have called the council together to discuss the budget when he was president at any time.

&8220;The council, at the discretion of the president, can choose to come together at any point in time,&8221; he said. &8220;I can&8217;t answer to why that did not happen.&8221;

Dickens said that he was unaware while serving as the council president that he could call the group together to discuss the budget, but argued that there were a number of alarming items in the budget that he thought should be looked at more closely.

Dickens noted that Pelham city revenues were projected to be flat for the coming year – a situation that he said was &8220;a huge cause for concern.&8221;

Hayes defended the budget, arguing that he followed protocol in creating it.

&8220;The letter of the law was met with this budget,&8221; Hayes said. &8220;My job as mayor is to present the budget and I believe that this budget is attainable in every way.&8221;

Hayes criticized Dickens for the former president&8217;s comments during the meeting.

&8220;For Mr. Dickens or anybody else to try to further any agenda the way they have is unprofessional,&8221; he said. &8220;But they certainly have the right to do that.&8221;

The 2007 budget provides for raises to various public service employees, including a three percent cost of living raise for all employees. Upper management employees were given a five percent raise while the Pelham police and fire chiefs were given a seven percent raise.

Metcalf motioned during the meeting to amend the budget prior to its approval to allow for donations to the Birmingham Emergency Medical System and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra as well as promoting City Financial Director Tom Seale to department head status. The amendment, which amounted to $36,015, passed on a 4-1 vote.

Dickens made a motion after the budget vote for the council to re-examine the way it goes about approving the city&8217;s budget each year.

&8220;It would behoove us to get together and iron out ways that we can be properly educated on the budget each year,&8221; he said. &8220;We should be able to sit together and hear each other&8217;s opinions on everything.&8221;

Dickens&8217; motion passed with unanimous consent from the council.

Prior to the council meeting adjournment, Pelham First Baptist Senior Pastor Mike Shaw addressed the council.

&8220;I have been in Pelham for over 27 years and I love this city,&8221; Shaw said. &8220;From what I have seen, the city council and the mayor have been talking about each other rather than to each other.&8221;

Shaw called on the council to put aside it&8217;s disagreements.

Quoting scripture, Shaw warned the council and mayor that &8220;a house divided cannot stand on its own.&8221;

The pastor&8217;s comments were met by applause from the capacity crowd in attendance