Vigo County ponders larger raise for employees

Oct. 5—The Vigo County Council on Tuesday began addressing county employee salaries for 2023 with a proposed 2.5 percent pay increase for next year.

Yet county commissioners spoke up in favor of a 4 percent increase, as several county highway workers attended the council meeting at the Vigo County Annex.

Commissioner Brendan Kearns said he had a "tailgate" conversation with highway department workers on the way to the council meeting.

General concerns, Kearns said, include "inflation, cost of living, and increases [in utility costs] — the generous pay increase that you advocated for at 2.5% is not where we need to be," Kearns said.

Kearns said surrounding counties of Clay, Parke and Sullivan counties have given about 4% increases. The city of Terre Haute gave a 4% increase to employees, he said, and commissioners have worked to keep insurance costs down to employees.

Kearns advocated for 4%, which laos is what the county last year gave employees.

"Where will the money come from? I don't know" Kearns said. "You have been great with the budget committee making cuts where you felt was necessary. Hopefully those cuts compared to our revenue stream afford us that opportunity to give them that 4% wage [increase]," Kearns said.

Kearns said he spoke to council members Todd Thacker, Vicki Weger, Marie Theisz and Travis Norris about the concerns of highway workers. "I don't want this to be a surprise by any means... but this is a concern," he said. Board of Commissioners President Chris Switzer said "it is time to match child care and inflation."

County Council President Aaron Loudermilk questioned why he and council members David Thompson and Brenda Wilson were also not contacted regarding the concern from county highway workers. Kearns said he contacted members on the way to the meeting and could not reach everyone.

Thompson, who heads the council's budget committee, said the county has not received numbers for salaries from Baker Tilley, the firm hired by the county to conduct a salary analysis and wage recommendation study.

"Our number one holdup on everything was Baker Tilley. I know everyone is tired of hearing that," Thompson said.

The budget was based on a 2.5% salary increase which was recommended by the budget committee. Nothing is final yet, he said.

Loudermilk questioned Bob Effner, who serves as attorney for the council, on how the council could make salary changes. Effner said the council cannot exceed its budget total adopted in September. The council adopted a $74.56 million budget for 2023.

"You can exceed portions of the budget but it would require five votes of the council to do that," Effner said. But even allowing for changes within the overall budget, council could still not exceed its total adopted budget.

The council could make salary changes, but would then have to adjust and stay within the $74.56 million total, Effner said.

Councilwoman Weger said the county will have a cash balance of $19 million to $20 million by the end of the year and could make changes to support a higher wage increase.

Tuesday's meeting was a discussion-only or "sunshine" meeting with no vote. The council is slated to vote on salaries and wage increase Oct. 11.

The 2.5 percent proposal

Under the proposed 2.5% increase, elected county officials including the auditor, assessor, clerk, treasurer, recorder, surveyor and Harrison Township Assessor would receive $60,272 in 2023. The county coroner would receive $26,788, while county commissioners are slated for $64,570. Vigo County Council members would receive $15,214.

For chief deputy in offices of the assessor, clerk, Harrison Township, recorder, surveyor and treasurer, salaries would be set at $48,216. Incumbent workers, such as the chief deputy auditor, would be grandfathered in at a higher rate of $52,153. The county commissioner administrator would be set at $47,000, while the county council administrator at $58,801. The county engineer /highway director would be set at $99,503.

The highest paid office in the county is for sheriff, proposed at $171,278. The chief deputy is slated for $71,518 base salary, with the jail matron to receive base salary of $52,526 plus $3,500 stipend with rank of lieutenant. These positions also receive clothing allowance and longevity pay, as do merit officers.

Some other sheriff's office salaries are $62,526 for chief of operations; $59,026 for captain/jail commander; $57,526 for detective/lieutenant; and $56,526 for detective/first sergeant and lieutenants. Deputy sheriffs, including a school resource officer, are slated to earn $52,526 next year.

Jail correctional officers would receive $20.50 in base hourly pay plus a $1,500 stipend. Juvenile detention officers and courthouse security will earn $18.41 an hour. Hourly rates for 911 dispatchers will be $19.37 an hour plus a $1,500 stipend.

Other county salaries include $17.89 per hour for custodians; $19.50 per hour for maintenance workers; $20.61 per hour for highway machine operators; $21.27 per hour for mechanics

The number of public defenders would be set at 26 plus 12 adult probation officers and seven juvenile probation officers. The number of part-time prosecutors set at eight.

Salaries for court reporters for Superior Court Divisions 1-6 would be $23.47 per hour.

For county deputy clerks and deputy recorders, salaries would be $18.54 per hour.

A court social worker/therapist would be set at $63,960 while a screening analyst/case manager at $37,900.

Temporary workers and extra help was set at $14.55 per hour while part-time electricians and plumbers at $28.77 per hour.

Deputy coroners would be set at four deputies with an annual rate of $6,165. The deputy coroner/office manager at $48,631.

All full time employees of the county, with the exception of merit officers, dispatchers and elected officials, would receive a longevity pay annually starting at the beginning of the second year of employment. The maximum a county employee could earn in longevity is $5,000 after 25 years of service. However, the maximum longevity pay for merit sheriff deputies is reached in 20 years.

In other issues, Vigo County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) seeks to eliminate the position of administrative assistant/mediation scheduler and replace that position with a staff CASA position due to grant cuts as high as $40,000. The position would help the agency keep up with casework.

Glenna Cheeseman, Vigo County CASA director, said CASA also needs $6,000 and will need more appropriations in 2023 as the county did not fund two full-time positions earlier this year.