County Decides On Requests For New Employees
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Nine Kosciusko County departments requested new employees for 2003.
But the county council granted only a few Thursday at their third and final budget meeting of the week.
County council president Jim Tranter presented the wage committee's recommendations on those requests to the rest of the county council. The wage committee members are county commissioner Brad Jackson and councilmen Tranter and Brad Tandy. County administrator Ron Robinson serves on the committee as an adviser.
When Superior Court II Judge James Jarrette's request for the creation of a security officer position, to be handled and controlled by the judges of Superior Courts II and III, looked like the council was going to deny the position, Jarrette did not hesitate to speak up.
The wage committee had recommended the position not be approved because, according to Tranter, the committee felt that security should come from the law enforcement department of the county, which is the sheriff's department. The committee thinks some additional security is needed in the court system but that can be addressed with new personnel in the sheriff's department.
Jarrette told the council by statute, he can have two employees - a court reporter and a bailiff. If the council approves the creation of the position, Jarrette said, he can talk with the council further before the position is filled, but asked that the council create the position now. He said he didn't know if the council has the legal ability not to allow the courts to appoint a bailiff and doesn't know if the sheriff's department can provide the security for the courts with so much on their plate already and being understaffed. If the judges have a person under their control, Jarrette said, he can make his courtroom safer. Previously, the courts had a bailiff position but that eventually changed to a secretarial position.
Councilman Larry Teghtmeyer said there are already two security officers in the building and he though a third security officer in the building was a little extravagant.
"With all due respect," said Jarrette, "you are not working in the building."
County Prosecutor Chuck Waggoner agreed that prisoners are not always taken out of the courtroom as fast as they need to be. "I stand in support of any measures you can take to alleviate these problems," he said.
Tandy said in three years, the county has hired 12 new jailers.
Superior Court III Judge Joe Sutton said it's not just about taking the prisoners out of the courtroom. Sometimes the courts' schedules get behind because prisoners don't arrive in time to the courts. A bailiff would solve such problems.
Upon voting on the bailiff position, councilmen Harold Jones, Larry Teghtmeyer and John Kinsey voted in favor of creating the position. Tandy, Tranter and Tom Anglin were opposed. Five votes were needed to approve the creation of the position.
Tranter said the sheriff's department, judges and perhaps the county commissioners can sit down together and address the issue.
The largest request for new employees came from Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine, who asked for two new road patrol officers and 11 new jailers. The COPS grants to fund the school resource officers at Tippecanoe Valley and Wawasee also expire in early March, so the county council also had to decide if they wanted to fund those positions.
The council decided to fund the school resource officers and four new jailers. Two of the new jailers will be hired in January and two more in July. The road patrolman and the seven other jailers were not approved.
County clerk Sharon Christner requested the addition of a new small claims position. Since Christner was granted a new position by the council June 13, Tranter said the wage committee believed granting a second new position would be throwing too many people into her department prior to having her present people trained. The new small claims position was denied.
A new position of 4-H assistant for the Extension office also was turned down.
The Kosciusko County Health Department won't get the funding for the position of a full-time maternal and prenatal care coordinator. The state eliminated the Special Health Needs grant that funded the position. The wage committee, Tranter said, thought Health Department administrator Bob Weavercould apply for another grant to fund the position or use some of the part-time payroll dollars in his budget.
None of the three new positions current county prosecutor Chuck Waggoner requested received approval from the council, though one position was recommended by the wage committee. Waggoner had a grant available to hire a fifth prosecutor to handle gun-related cases. The county council did not accept the grant and the grant money was lost.
The wage committee recommended using the grant for the new prosecutor. But since the grant money was gone because of the council's previous decision, the council voted not to approve the position.
The county council also denied funding two new case workers in Title IV-D (child support collection), but the council said the new employees could be reviewed later by the new prosecutor, who takes office Jan. 1.
Patti Gammiere, Turkey Creek Township Assessor, requested a new position of a permanent part-time person to help with general office duties as needed. The wage committee didn't recommend the position but did recommend $10,000 be budgeted into the assessor's part-time funds to hire a part-time person to assist with the general office duties. However, the council only approved $2,000 for overtime and $5,000 for part-time pay. The overtime is a few hundred dollars more than last year's amount.
A new position of assistant chief probation officer was turned down by the county council. The position would have been filled by an existing probation officer.
The county maintenance department received approval to hire a third maintenance person.
For the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals, Area Plan Commission board, Drainage Board and Property Tax Reassessment Board, $80 per meeting per person on each board was approved, the same as last year.
All county employees will receive raises of 2.5 percent. The council approved the county dispatchers to continue to receive the same pay as the Warsaw dispatchers.
The following wages were approved the same as 2002: hourly starting wage rate, $8.25 per hour; part time highway, $8.98 per hour; per diem coroner, $82 per call; part-time prosecutor, $227 per day; judges, $5,000 above the state pay; Level 1 assessor, $1,000 extra per year; Level II assessor, $500 extra per year.
County auditor Sue Ann Mitchell's wages will be increased 10 percent.
According to Tranter, Mitchell's salary was increased because the auditor is the financial officer of the county and works closely with the commissioners and council. The committee, he said, believes there is a poor balance between the auditor's salary level and other county salary levels.
Mitchell's salary now is $44,103. It will increase to $48,206 in 2003.
The 10 percent increase is for Mitchell only and will not apply to future elected auditors unless they receive the same support at future budget hearings. The 10 percent increase will be reviewed on a yearly basis. [[In-content Ad]]
Nine Kosciusko County departments requested new employees for 2003.
But the county council granted only a few Thursday at their third and final budget meeting of the week.
County council president Jim Tranter presented the wage committee's recommendations on those requests to the rest of the county council. The wage committee members are county commissioner Brad Jackson and councilmen Tranter and Brad Tandy. County administrator Ron Robinson serves on the committee as an adviser.
When Superior Court II Judge James Jarrette's request for the creation of a security officer position, to be handled and controlled by the judges of Superior Courts II and III, looked like the council was going to deny the position, Jarrette did not hesitate to speak up.
The wage committee had recommended the position not be approved because, according to Tranter, the committee felt that security should come from the law enforcement department of the county, which is the sheriff's department. The committee thinks some additional security is needed in the court system but that can be addressed with new personnel in the sheriff's department.
Jarrette told the council by statute, he can have two employees - a court reporter and a bailiff. If the council approves the creation of the position, Jarrette said, he can talk with the council further before the position is filled, but asked that the council create the position now. He said he didn't know if the council has the legal ability not to allow the courts to appoint a bailiff and doesn't know if the sheriff's department can provide the security for the courts with so much on their plate already and being understaffed. If the judges have a person under their control, Jarrette said, he can make his courtroom safer. Previously, the courts had a bailiff position but that eventually changed to a secretarial position.
Councilman Larry Teghtmeyer said there are already two security officers in the building and he though a third security officer in the building was a little extravagant.
"With all due respect," said Jarrette, "you are not working in the building."
County Prosecutor Chuck Waggoner agreed that prisoners are not always taken out of the courtroom as fast as they need to be. "I stand in support of any measures you can take to alleviate these problems," he said.
Tandy said in three years, the county has hired 12 new jailers.
Superior Court III Judge Joe Sutton said it's not just about taking the prisoners out of the courtroom. Sometimes the courts' schedules get behind because prisoners don't arrive in time to the courts. A bailiff would solve such problems.
Upon voting on the bailiff position, councilmen Harold Jones, Larry Teghtmeyer and John Kinsey voted in favor of creating the position. Tandy, Tranter and Tom Anglin were opposed. Five votes were needed to approve the creation of the position.
Tranter said the sheriff's department, judges and perhaps the county commissioners can sit down together and address the issue.
The largest request for new employees came from Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine, who asked for two new road patrol officers and 11 new jailers. The COPS grants to fund the school resource officers at Tippecanoe Valley and Wawasee also expire in early March, so the county council also had to decide if they wanted to fund those positions.
The council decided to fund the school resource officers and four new jailers. Two of the new jailers will be hired in January and two more in July. The road patrolman and the seven other jailers were not approved.
County clerk Sharon Christner requested the addition of a new small claims position. Since Christner was granted a new position by the council June 13, Tranter said the wage committee believed granting a second new position would be throwing too many people into her department prior to having her present people trained. The new small claims position was denied.
A new position of 4-H assistant for the Extension office also was turned down.
The Kosciusko County Health Department won't get the funding for the position of a full-time maternal and prenatal care coordinator. The state eliminated the Special Health Needs grant that funded the position. The wage committee, Tranter said, thought Health Department administrator Bob Weavercould apply for another grant to fund the position or use some of the part-time payroll dollars in his budget.
None of the three new positions current county prosecutor Chuck Waggoner requested received approval from the council, though one position was recommended by the wage committee. Waggoner had a grant available to hire a fifth prosecutor to handle gun-related cases. The county council did not accept the grant and the grant money was lost.
The wage committee recommended using the grant for the new prosecutor. But since the grant money was gone because of the council's previous decision, the council voted not to approve the position.
The county council also denied funding two new case workers in Title IV-D (child support collection), but the council said the new employees could be reviewed later by the new prosecutor, who takes office Jan. 1.
Patti Gammiere, Turkey Creek Township Assessor, requested a new position of a permanent part-time person to help with general office duties as needed. The wage committee didn't recommend the position but did recommend $10,000 be budgeted into the assessor's part-time funds to hire a part-time person to assist with the general office duties. However, the council only approved $2,000 for overtime and $5,000 for part-time pay. The overtime is a few hundred dollars more than last year's amount.
A new position of assistant chief probation officer was turned down by the county council. The position would have been filled by an existing probation officer.
The county maintenance department received approval to hire a third maintenance person.
For the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals, Area Plan Commission board, Drainage Board and Property Tax Reassessment Board, $80 per meeting per person on each board was approved, the same as last year.
All county employees will receive raises of 2.5 percent. The council approved the county dispatchers to continue to receive the same pay as the Warsaw dispatchers.
The following wages were approved the same as 2002: hourly starting wage rate, $8.25 per hour; part time highway, $8.98 per hour; per diem coroner, $82 per call; part-time prosecutor, $227 per day; judges, $5,000 above the state pay; Level 1 assessor, $1,000 extra per year; Level II assessor, $500 extra per year.
County auditor Sue Ann Mitchell's wages will be increased 10 percent.
According to Tranter, Mitchell's salary was increased because the auditor is the financial officer of the county and works closely with the commissioners and council. The committee, he said, believes there is a poor balance between the auditor's salary level and other county salary levels.
Mitchell's salary now is $44,103. It will increase to $48,206 in 2003.
The 10 percent increase is for Mitchell only and will not apply to future elected auditors unless they receive the same support at future budget hearings. The 10 percent increase will be reviewed on a yearly basis. [[In-content Ad]]