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Youngstown Council mulls pay raise as part of case
YOUNGSTOWN
City council will consider legislation Wednesday to increase the annual salary of an assistant city prosecutor as part of a settlement reached in a religious- and ethnic- discrimination federal lawsuit filed by the employee.
The ordinance would increase the annual base-pay salary of Basil Ally by $4,000. He would be paid $65,200 a year. Also, he would be named the city’s senior prosecutor if council approves the legislation.
Ally, a Muslim, filed a civil lawsuit in May 2009 against the city, its mayor, law director and city prosecutor, contending he was harassed because of his faith and Middle Eastern descent by co-workers.
Also, Ally’s lawsuit stated he was placed on administrative leave because he attended mosque services on a Friday — something his supervisors agreed to accommodate when he was hired — instead of going to a staff meeting.
A settlement was reached about two weeks ago.
In addition to the pay raise and the new job title, Ally received a $110,000 lump-sum payment to settle the lawsuit. The money will come from Midwest Claims, the city’s insurance company.
The city can’t just increase Ally’s annual salary without council passing legislation to change the city’s master salary ordinance, said Law Director Anthony Farris. That’s why the item is on the agenda for council’s Wednesday meeting, he said.