Vigo County Council approves 4% salary increases for 2023

Oct. 12—The Vigo County Council reversed course Tuesday and approved a 4% salary increase for all county workers, including merit sheriff deputies and elected officials, in 2023.

The salary increase matches a 4% across the board raise increase given to employees in 2022 and matches a 2023 salary increase given by the city of Terre Haute.

The increase will cost the county $804,672 additionally for salaries next year.

Overall, the county will pay more than $50.1 million for annual salaries in 2023. Add in longevity and stipends, as well as social security and public employee retirement funds, the cost is more than $64.8 million for the 2023 budget.

That total cost excludes insurance costs, which increased for the county by nearly $1 million in the general fund and $1.5 million overall. That insurance increase was not passed onto county employees.

The council discussed the issue prior to a vote, with some pointing out the county has a strong operating balance of more than $20 million.

The council initially considered a 2.5% wage increase when drafting the 2023 budget. That 2.5% was the budget committee's recommendation.

When Council President Aaron Loudermilk asked the council how it wanted to proceed on the raise amount, the council remained silent for nearly four minutes before Councilwoman Vicki Weger moved to amend the proposed 2.5% increase to a 4% across the board wage increase. Councilman Todd Thacker seconded.

"I don't think 2.5% is enough for anybody to live on," Weger said, adding all county workers "need a 4% raise. The food and beverage tax is bring in money and interest rates are going up. I know we can do it, and it is the right thing to do."

The amendment to the salary ordinance for county employees would pass in a 4-3 vote, with Council President Aaron Loudermilk passing the deciding vote in favor. Those also voting in favor of the amendment were Weger, Thacker and Marie Theisz.

Opposing were Brenda Wilson, David Thompson and Travis Norris.

While the amendment passed, the council then had to vote to pass the amended salary ordinance. and the council then voted unanimously for the 4% general employee wage increase. The vote regarding 4% for merit sheriff deputies also was 7-0.

On elected officials, the council voted 4-2, with one abstention. Wilson abstained, saying she did not feel officials should vote to give themselves a raise given the current inflation. Thompson and Loudermilk voted no regarding a 4% increase for elected officials. The final vote on the amended ordinance for elected officials passed 6-0-1, with Wilson abstaining.

Councilman Thompson, who chaired the council's budget committee, said the county's self-funded insurance rose nearly $1 million and said the council still does not have an employee salary analysis study from Baker Tilley, an accounting and consulting firm.

Thompson said the county also did not fund 17 new employee positions, which includes 11 additional correctional officers for the new Vigo County Jail as the budget committee did not have adequate salary numbers.

Thompson and Loudermilk each suggested highway workers could get an additional personal day to compensate for some salary concerns.

Thacker said the council has to move forward without the Baker Tilley study to give wage increases.

Wilson said the council should not act without firm numbers from the Baker Tilley study to ensure the county has adequate funds for salaries and positions, saying a 2.5% salary was a compromise to keep a budget surplus to avoid any tax increases in the future.

Thacker said he understood the budget committee's concern, saying Baker Tilley raised concern the county's budget operating balance could shrink from about $21 million down to $7 million in the next five years, given rates of inflation. However, Thacker said no consideration was given to increased money generated by a new casino after 2024. Thacker said he questioned whether the county would receive an accurate study for wages.

"People working now need a raise now, in my opinion," he said.

Thacker said instead of clothing allowance or other considerations for county highway workers, he favored a wage increase for all employees.

Loudermilk said he, too, was not confident of a new salary study, saying the county should have kept its prior salary system updated every two to three years.

"I am not convinced that we will be happy with the product once we get it back (from Baker Tilley), quite frankly. We have given deadlines they are supposed to meet, and each time they missed the deadline and we were told for one reason or another why they can't meet the deadline. Many times it doesn't seem to be their fault," Loudermilk said.

Wilson said it would be "unacceptable" for the county to move forward on salaries as the county paid for the study and the budget committee moved to be fiscally responsible advocating for a 2.5% salary increase, which could be readdressed in 2023.

Councilwoman Theisz said the council needs to get regular updates from Baker Tilley on the study.

Norris suggested the council inquire about returning to Waggoner Irwin Scheele & Associates, a Muncie-based management consulting firm, which initially did a salary study for the county in 2015.

Howard Greninger can be reached at 812-231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com. Follow on Twitter @TribStarHoward.