Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District trustees approved a pay raise Friday for the South Shore commuter railroad's top executive as it continues to plan for its first expansion in decades.

General Manager Gerald Hanas will see his annual $144,000 salary increase by an amount equal to one percent of fees collected from a freight railroad that runs on the commuter line, under a resolution passed by the NICTD Board of Trustees.

Board Chairman Mark Yagelski said the increased pay could range up to $25,000. Last year, it would have amounted to $18,000.

Yagelski said the general manager's duties have increased greatly with the planning for the West Lake Corridor Extension, ordering of new rail cars and other projects. The pay raise also was intended to bring Hanas' pay up to what railroad executives in similar positions are paid, Yagelski said.

"He has a package together that he was not originally hired for," Yagelski said of Hanas' increased duties.

The vote was five in favor, on against and two abstaining. Christine Cid, John Evans, Mark Catanzarite, Mark Yagelski, and David Wickland were the trustees voting for the pay hike. Trustee Robert Kovach voted against it. Trustees Richard Vulpitta and Dennis Burke abstained.

Vulpitta and Burke cannot vote on matters directly affecting NICTD staff. Kovach said he received the resolution a short time before the vote and did not have time to fully review it.

NICTD trustees passed a 2009 budget accounting for no South Shore fare increases. The South Shore plans to increase fares indexed to inflation in 2010, Hanas said.

The 2009 budget projects total operating expenses of $38,235,523. Revenue from passenger and parking fees will total $19,806,000, or 51.8 percent of operating expenses.