Curry County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to renew the county manager’s contract through 2011, adding a year to his existing contract.

Manager Lance Pyle’s contract renewal does not include a pay raise.

The vote came following an executive session at the end of the scheduled meeting.

“We thought Lance had done an excellent job this first year of his contract, so we gave him an excellent evaluation,” Chairman Frank Blackburn said.

 Blackburn said the decision not to give Pyle a raise was one made out of financial conservation in a trying economic climate.

“(The decision not to include a raise) wasn’t any reflection on his performance. These are hard times and he didn’t ask for one, so we didn’t give him one,” he said.

Each commissioner conducted an evaluation of Pyle’s performance and those evaluations were combined to create one evaluation, Blackburn said.

All reviewed him favorably, he said.

Pyle’s current contract was set to expire June 30, 2010.

Last July when the contract was instated, he received a $14,500 raise, lifting his salary to $102,000.

About half of Pyle’s salary is paid through indigent health care funds because of his dual role as county indigent administrator.

Pyle said when his contract came up for renewal, he indicated he did not want a pay raise due to the poor economy.