Firefighters and police officers now know what their paychecks will look like in 2009. The rest of the city’s employees, however, are still uncertain.

Lawrence city commissioners at their Tuesday evening meeting approved labor contracts that will give police officers and firefighters a 1.5 percent general wage adjustment in 2009.

That’s smaller than the 2 percent wage increase both groups received this year.

“I want to thank you for recognizing the times that we are in,” Commissioner Mike Amyx said to the two labor groups. “I’m convinced they won’t stay like this forever.”

The negotiations with the police and fire labor groups have delayed city staff members from coming up with a pay plan for all remaining city employees.

City Manager David Corliss said he expects the details of a city pay plan to be worked out in September. But the pay plan for the remaining city workers may look significantly different from those approved for police officers and firefighters.

The approved contracts for both those groups ensure all members of those labor organizations will receive at least a 1.5 percent general wage increase.

Corliss said the pay plan for remaining city employees – everybody from public works crews to parks and recreation employees – may not include a built-in general wage increase. Instead, city commissioners have expressed a desire to move toward a merit-based pay system where wages are based on employee evaluations. Currently, city employees receive both a general wage increase and are eligible for a merit pay raise as well.

Corliss said he did not think having the two different types of pay systems for city employees would create problems within the city’s employee ranks.

In other business, commissioners also received a report from their performance auditor on the financial condition of the city.

The report had raised some concerns about the city’s overall debt burden on the budget. Commissioners agreed with the recommendation from City Auditor Michael Eglinski that the city more closely watch key measurements of city debt.

But City Finance Director Ed Mullins also reassured commissioners that the city’s total debt levels of about $140 million were still considered reasonable by bond rating agencies. The city’s general obligation debt carries an Aa2 rating, the third highest rating offered by Moody’s Investors Service, which performs financial research and analysis on commercial and government entities.