INDIANAPOLIS -- Washington Township board members voted themselves a 60 percent raise Thursday night, despite protests from residents who said their duties didn't merit more money.

In a 4 to 3 vote, the Democratic majority of the board succeeded in approving a measure to boost board member salaries from $2,250 to $3,600 a year, 6News' Norman Cox reported.

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Capitol WatchBlog: Washington Township Meltdown
Uncut Video: Washington Township President Ray Baker In Heated Discussion With 6News' Norman Cox

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The board took a pay cut after the township's fire department merged with the Indianapolis Fire Department last year, a move that meant board members no longer needed to oversee the department or meet as frequently.

But board members in favor of the raise said that the salary increase is based on cost-of-living expenses.

Republican Jack Werner voted against the proposal, telling Cox earlier this week that he believed approving a raise would only fan the fire at the Statehouse to eliminate townships completely.

"I think people are going to see this egregious increase as just another reason to get rid of what they think is a system that has a lot of patronage in it, that has a lot of insider-ism in it," he said on Wednesday.

The board members who supported the raise, two of whom hung up on calls for comment on Wednesday, refused to speak to reporters after Thursday's vote.

Audience members at Thursday night's meeting, many of whom were there to protest the pay raise, were not allowed to speak during the meeting. Those who collected signatures against the raise outside of the meeting said they would take their fight to the Department of Local Government Finance.