Jennifer Roberts wants pay equity study

Charlotte mayoral candidate Jennifer Roberts said Wednesday that if elected she’d request an audit of city salaries to determine whether women are paid the same as men for comparable jobs.

“I want to make sure every woman in the same job makes the same as men,” she told a Hood Hargett luncheon at the Palm. “Unless you ask the right questions, equality and inclusion don’t just happen.”

Roberts, a Democrat, was asked about the plans for her first 30 days if she beats Republican Edwin Peacock on Tuesday.

A Peacock spokesman said he also supports a pay audit of city employees to ensure that women are paid equally.

Roberts also said she’d also organize a group to look at expanding after-school programs. She has made such programs, along with expanding community policing and improving police training, a centerpiece of her proposals to fight crime.

Roberts said she also wants to reach out to small businesses and foster more cooperation between different business groups.

During her talk, Roberts generally covered familiar ground. Asked if she favors a citywide payroll tax to capture revenue from commuters to the city, she said she would not.

This story was originally published October 28, 2015 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Jennifer Roberts wants pay equity study."