NORWICH – The struggling economy and tight departmental budgets didn’t keep Chenango County’s politicians from giving themselves and their government employees about a 4 percent raise on average.

But it wasn’t for lack of trying. Led by Supervisor Peter C. Flanagan, D-Preston, who pulled the annual compensation schedule resolution from Monday’s agenda, four of the legislature’s seven Democrats and three others who were in agreement with them, voted to freeze salaries at this year’s rate.

“These are uncertain economic times we are facing. I would appeal to my fellow supervisors to consider not increasing their salaries. We need to lead from the top,” said Flanagan.

Flanagan’s comment was supported by a motion from Supervisor James Bays, D-Smyrna, to amend the comp schedule resolution. Bays said he worried that governments and municipalities would be next in line – after the housing and automobile industries’ crises – to feel the affects of the nation’s economic downturn.

However Bays’ amendment, seconded by Flanagan, failed by a vote of 7 to 15 with 1 absent. The two were joined by Democrats James J. McNeil of Wards 1, 2 and 3 in the City of Norwich and Rick E. Chase of Bainbridge. Republican Jerry L. Kreiner, supervisor of Plymouth; New Berlin Supervisor Ross Iannello, unaffiliated; and Columbus Supervisor George G. Coates, an Independent, also sided with the Democrats.