YOUNGSTOWN — City council again chose Wednesday not to vote on a sewer rate increase, but members said one will happen Dec. 18.

Council’s finance committee will meet sometime next week to discuss the proposed 4-percent annual increase for the next five years as well as the city administration’s request to increase the pay for a financial consultant from $25,000 to up to $50,000, said Councilwoman Basia Adamczak, D-7th Ward, vice chairwoman of the finance committee.

Then council will vote Dec. 18, its last scheduled meeting of the year, on the increase that is to take effect Jan. 1, Adamczak said.

“We’ll get it done Dec. 18,” said Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward, a finance committee member. “It’s going to leave a bad taste in our mouth, but we’ve got to get it done.”

Council heard Nov. 7 from Michael Abouserhal, the city’s financial consultant, about the proposed sewer rate hikes. It delayed a vote at its Nov. 13 meeting to talk about the proposal with city residents. That included a Tuesday public meeting at the Covelli Centre community room with residents objecting to the increase.

But council members and those in the city administration say they have no choice but to raise rates in order to comply with a federal Environmental Protection Agency agreement to make $160 million worth of improvements to its sewer system.

There was some talk after Tuesday’s public meeting that council would act Wednesday. But the matter wasn’t even discussed. The comments from Adamczak and Davis came after the meeting in response to questions from a reporter.

The discussion at next week’s finance committee meeting will include whether to increase Abouserhal’s pay from $25,000 to up to $50,000 primarily to assist the city with water, wastewater and environmental sanitation issues. Abouserhal was paid $25,000 in January for a separate contract to do a financial projection of the city’s general fund and to assist with various financial matters.

At Wednesday’s meeting, council approved legislation authorizing the board of control to seek proposals and enter into a contract for the reconstruction of sewer and water lines and the development of a downtown pedestrian mall on a section of North Phelps Street.

“This is our infamous Phelps Street sewer project,” said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works. The section of North Phelps Street is between West Federal and West Commerce streets.

The project has been delayed for six years. But Shasho said it will start in February and expects it to be finished in July.

Also Wednesday, council approved giving raises to its management employees. The workers will get a 1 percent raise starting Dec. 21 and then a 1.5 percent raise Jan. 4, two weeks later. The employees would receive a 1 percent raise effective Jan. 1, 2021.

The raises are the same percentages given to union members.

There are 152 management employees including department heads and supervisors as well as nonsupervisory jobs in the health, law, finance, municipal courts and clerk of courts.