New town of Thorsby employees can look forward to higher earnings.

The town’s council unanimously approved a 50-cent pay raise for full-time employees hired by the municipality after the vote at Monday’s regular meeting.

Before the raise would be enacted, new hires would have to remain employed through a 90-day probation period.

The raise will not be in effect for any current employees.

The council took no action on another measure that would have given an extra day off–Dec. 26, the day after Christmas–to town employees in addition to the two days off they will already receive–Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The proposal died for lack of a motion.

In other business, the council:

•Voted to apply for a $4,000 grant for playground equipment that will come with a requirement for the town to match 30 percent of the funds. Mayor Jean Nelson said she plans to install a swing set at Sam Bentley Park and a cardiovascular stepper at Richard Wood Park.

•Agreed to pay $1,000 to have the floor at town hall stripped and waxed. Council members said municipal elections the past few months took a toll on the surfaces and said measures should be taken for future elections to prevent chairs from scuffing the floors.