(KNZA)--Doniphan County employees have been granted a pay raise for 2017.

The Doniphan County Commission voted 2-1 Monday to approve a 50 cent an hour pay increase for county employees and elected officials, with the exception of the county commissioners, beginning January 1st.  Commissioner Jerry McKernan cast the lone no vote.

The Commission also voted unanimously to increase the starting salary for county employees to $10 an hour beginning January 1st, 2017.

In other business, the Commission voted to enroll a second site on 180th Spur Road, which is old K-7 Highway, in the USDA Emergency Watershed Protection Program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service for a bank stabilization project.   Federal funds would  pay for 75 percent of the projected $53,000 project cost, with the county responsible for the remaining 25 percent.