City employees may have a brighter Christmas this year.

The Selma City Council unanimously approved a bonus for all employees, totaling $424,277, during its meeting on Tuesday.

Mayor George Evans said full-time employees, who have worked for the city for more than three years, would receive a $1,600 one-time bonus. Part-time employees, employed for more than three years, will receive $800. All employees, employed for one to three years, will receive $400. Those employed for less than a year will receive $200.

“We wanted to find a way to give all of our employees that work so hard a raise,” Evans said during the council meeting. “It has been six to seven years since we have given them a raise and we think it is about time.”

Evans said the employees would receive the one-time bonus at a December 19 employee luncheon.

The $424,277 will come out of the half-cent sales tax, passed earlier this year, Evans said. The city will use the half-cent sales tax fund to pay for a summer hire program and a pay for a $38,000 increase in health insurance.

Evans said $74,686 would remain in the half-cent sales tax fund after all of the planned expenditures. Evans also said the half-cent sales tax is averaging approximately $100,000 in revenue per month.