MICHAEL KOVACS City Manager Michael Kovacs found a consensus among city council members that he has done his job well for the past year.

The council on Thursday, Dec. 18, awarded a 5 percent raise toward salary and benefits for Kovacs. His annual pay is now more than $94,000.

"His evaluation was that he exceeded the requirements. He is well favored and we appreciate his service," City Councilwoman Glenda Balentine said after the council renewed his contract.

"Without a doubt, we've got the best city manager. He takes initiative to carry out all of his duties and he provides full disclosure. He is very professional in his appearance as well. The consensus absolutely was that he exceeded council requirements," Balentine said.

Kovacs previously had received kudos from councilman Keith McMullin ceived

for the way he performed his duties during the threat of Hurricane Ike's landfall in the Coastal Bend area.

Although the hurricane came ashore in the Galveston area, Kovacs was said to have had a plan for every possible scenario during a major hurricane as he worked with Mayor Claude Brown during the threat that appeared on the horizon in mid-September.

"Overall he has done a pretty good job. Mike is very good about following all state rules and regulations and following models to track the storm," Brown said.

"He seems to be concerned with the good of the town overall," he said.

"I love working for the citizens and the council; they are great people," Kovacs said.

One of the city manager's more recent and high profile actions was to hire Scott Burroughs of the Travis County Sheriff's Department as the new Port Aransas chief of police.

Burroughs is scheduled to start working in his new position on Monday, Jan. 5.

Kovacs was hired in December 2004 at a starting salary of $75,000 with a car allowance and other benefits.

His contract for 2007 includes more than $90,000 in annual salary, and his severance pay was raised to half of that amount.