Council asks for consultant's input to make some 2023 budget decisions

Mike Emery, Richmond Palladium-Item
·8 min read
Wayne County commissioners on Wednesday discussed security measures for the Wayne County Administration Building.

RICHMOND, Ind. — Wayne County Council wants more information before deciding the fate of some requested 2023 salary bumps and new positions.

Council members further discussed the 2023 budget Wednesday evening as they pare budget requests. Tony Gillam, council's finance committee chair, said the evening opened with about a $165,000 gap remaining between the anticipated $1,229,216 in new 2023 monies and additional budget requests still being considered.

The major decisions remaining include new position requests and salaries, including the extent of an across-the-board raise for county employees. On Aug. 24, council figured the budget with a 5% raise placeholder that is anticipated to cost $630,661 in wages and $116,840 in associated benefits. A 4% raise is expected to cost $505,000 plus $92,672 in benefits costs.

Council members set the budget's public hearing for 6 p.m. Sept. 14 in the council and commissioners chambers of the Wayne County Administration Building, 401 E. Main St. They plan to adopt the budget during their Oct. 19 workshop. Further budget discussions will occur during council's regular monthly meeting Sept. 7.

By then, council members hope to have received reports from consultant Kent Irwin of Waggonner, Irwin, Scheele & Associates of Muncie. Irwin analyzes job descriptions and compares position salaries to similar counties.

Council asked Kim Clauser, the county's HR director, to have Irwin analyze wages for current county court employees. The county's judges asked council to raise their current employees' wages to bolster retention and requested a new court administrator position and four new clerk positions.

Gillam and Bob Chamness said they have been told that the judges' priorities in order are raising current wages to market rates, the administrator position then the clerk positions. The judges have said their case loads require new positions. A combination of factors, such as COVID-19 halting trials, the transfer of Circuit Court criminal cases when Judge April Drake was appointed and increased case filings, have created the case load issue.

Council's decisions about the judges' requests will then influence their decisions about two prosecutor's office positions. Prosecutor Mike Shipman requested a new deputy prosecutor for felony cases and a new secretary for felonies. He told council during its initial budget presentations that increased felony cases are stressing his current staff to the point some lower-level felony cases will not be filed so staff might focus on more serious offenses.

Among the commissioners' position requests, council is ready to fund two years of a grant writer and administrator position from American Rescue Plan Act dollars that reimburse lost revenue. That position is then expected to pay for itself through the grants the position accrues by the end of the two years.

Neither that position nor the new Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program coordinator position impacts the budget's general fund. The HELP coordinator will be paid by ARPA money and an Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs grant. The county's HELP cohort begins in early 2023.

Highway department supervisor Mike Sharp also has requested wage increases that will not impact the general fund. His budget comes from the highway fund.

Sharp also has issues retaining employees. Council member Max Smith said the department loses significant local knowledge when employees leave for better-paying jobs. That's important for a department that often handles projects in-house rather than by hiring contractors. Smith said the county is the only Indiana county that installs box culverts itself and called the highway department a jewel.

"I would urge us to strongly consider doing something to help Mike," Smith said.

Smith said he would work with Sharp to prepare a formal proposal for council's consideration.

Public hearings

All Wayne County cities, towns, townships, school districts and libraries are budgeting for 2023. Each is required to advertise its budget and conduct a public hearing prior to budget approval.

Townships that have so far advertised their budgets, public hearings and budget adoption dates on the statewide Gateway website are:

  • Jackson Township, public hearing for the advertised $310,792 budget was Aug. 31 and budget adoption is planned for noon Sept. 14 at 340 W. Main St., Cambridge City;

  • Washington Township, advertised $85,825 budget with a public hearing 6 p.m. Sept. 6 and budget adoption planned for 6 p.m. Sept. 20, both at 101 Central Ave., Milton;

  • Franklin Township, advertised $76,705 budget with a public hearing 10 a.m. Sept. 7 and budget adoption planned for 10 a.m. Sept. 21, both at 7925 Arba Pike;

  • Perry Township, advertised $121,414 budget with a public hearing 7 p.m. Sept. 8 and budget adoption planned for 7 p.m. Oct. 13, both at 138 Poplar St., Economy;

  • Clay Township, advertised $86,605 budget with a public hearing 7 p.m. Sept. 12 and budget adoption planned for 7 p.m. Sept. 26, both at 114 E. Pearl St., Greens Fork;

  • Boston Township, advertised $181,263 budget with a public hearing 5 p.m. Sept. 13 and budget adoption planned for 5 p.m. Sept. 27, both at 102 S. Salem St.;

  • Harrison Township, advertised $47,600 budget with a public hearing 6 p.m. Sept. 13 and budget adoption planned for 6 p.m. Sept. 27, both at 2761 N. Ind. 1, Cambridge City;

  • Jefferson Township, advertised $226,005 budget with a public hearing 6:30 p.m. Sept. 13 and budget adoption planned for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11, both at 47 E. Main St., Hagerstown;

  • Dalton Township, advertised $25,570 budget with a public hearing 7 p.m. Sept. 13 and budget adoption planned for 7 p.m. Sept. 27, both at 14063 U.S. 35, Economy;

  • Center Township, advertised $202,978 budget with a public hearing 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 and budget adoption planned for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28, both at 618 E. Main St., Centerville;

  • New Garden Township, advertised $71,026 budget with a public hearing 6 p.m. Sept. 19 and budget adoption planned for 6 p.m. Oct. 10, both at 312 W. Main St., Fountain City; and

  • Webster Township, advertised $153,900 budget with a public hearing 6 p.m. Sept. 21 and budget adoption planned for 6 p.m. Oct. 5, both at 5122 Main St., Webster.

Towns that have so far advertised their budgets, public hearings and budget adoption dates on the statewide Gateway website are:

  • Fountain City, advertised $388,710 budget with a public hearing 7 p.m. Sept. 6 and budget adoption planned for 7 p.m. Oct. 4, both at 312 W. Main St.;

  • Greens Fork, advertised $149,400 budget with a public hearing 6:45 p.m. Sept. 8 and budget adoption planned for 6:45 p.m. Sept. 22, both at 12 S. Water St.;

  • Cambridge City, advertised $1,584,990 budget with a public hearing 6 p.m. Sept. 12 and budget adoption planned for 6 p.m. Oct. 10, both at 127 N. Foote St.;

  • East Germantown, advertised $183,305 budget with a public hearing 6:30 p.m. Sept. 12 and budget adoption planned for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10, both at 206 S. Milton St.;

  • Milton, advertised $302,790 budget with a public hearing 6 p.m. Sept. 13 and budget adoption planned for 6 p.m. Oct. 11, both at 101 N. Central Ave.;

  • Dublin, advertised $417,938 budget with a public hearing 7 p.m. Sept. 13 and budget adoption planned for 7 p.m. Oct. 11, both at 498 N. Johnson St.;

  • Economy, advertised $184,841 budget with a public hearing 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 and budget adoption planned for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12, both at 138 Poplar St.; and

  • Hagerstown, advertised $1,588,769 budget with a public hearing 6:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and budget adoption planned for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17, both at 49 E. College St.

School districts that have so far advertised their budgets, public hearings and budget adoption dates on the statewide Gateway website are:

  • Nettle Creek schools, advertised $12,587,572 budget with a public hearing 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 and budget adoption planned for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19, both at 299 N. Sycamore St., Hagerstown;

  • Centerville-Abington schools, advertised $24,520,446 budget with a public hearing 7 p.m. Sept. 14 and budget adoption planned for 7 p.m. Sept. 28, both at 115 W. South St., Centerville; and

  • Northeastern Wayne schools, advertised $16,009,258 budget with a public hearing 7 p.m. Sept. 21 and budget adoption planned for 7 p.m. Oct. 26, both at 7299 U.S. 27 N., Fountain City.

Public library systems that have so far advertised their budgets, public hearings and budget adoption dates on the statewide Gateway website are:

  • Hagerstown Public Library, advertised $390,000 budget had a public hearing Aug. 17 and budget adoption planned for 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at 10 W. College St.;

  • Dublin Public Library, advertised $30,531 budget with a public hearing 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8 and budget adoption planned for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13, both at 2249 E. Cumberland St.; and

  • Centerville-Center Township Public Library, advertised $574,958 budget with a public hearing 4:30 p.m. Sept. 13 and budget adoption planned for 4:30 p.m. Oct. 11, both at 126 E. Main St., Centerville.

The advertised budgets and related information are posted online at budgetnotices.in.gov.

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Council asks for consultant's input to make some 2023 budget decisions