Zebulon — Beginning this week, and continuing for the next two weeks, the Eastern Wake News will publish a series of stories that examine the salaries of municipal employees in Wendell, Knightdale and Zebulon.

In all three towns, employee salaries are a major expense, as they are in most businesses. Unlike wages paid by private companies, town workers are paid by tax dollars.

The stories are the result of more than a month of analysis by the staff of the Eastern Wake News.

The stories will compare local government salaries with similar jobs in the private sector. They will also measure local salaries against money paid to government workers in other similarly-sized towns. The series will also include a comparison of salaries paid to employees within the three towns.

Salaries are listed on this Web site in a searchable database that will allow you to compare those salaries for yourself.

We also invite feedback from the public. Go to www.triangle.com to participate in a forum discussion about local government salaries.