Syracuse Adopts Fire, Police Pay Schedules
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - Three weeks after hearing a presentation from McGrath Consulting Inc. on Syracuse police and fire department employee pay, the town council took up the issue at a special meeting Monday.
With councilmen Paul Stoelting and Larry Siegel opposed, the council voted three to two to accept the consulting firm's recommended option on police and fire employee pay with modifications.
McGrath recommended addition of a master police officer grade after five years of service and in the future agreeing to look at adding staff, including an assistant fire chief. The council decided not to consider adding the position of an assistant fire chief until next year.
The motion also included a modification allowing town manager Brian Redshaw to monitor the salary rates with input from the council and for a committee to be set up to establish minimum hiring guidelines and incentive bonuses starting with 2004.
The recommended option is compensation for the employees based on market value plus merit with a maximum rate.
Approving the motion were Carol Koble, Barbara Carwile and Bill Hane.
Asked by Koble why they were opposed to her motion, Stoelting said he didn't believe that in December the town council would approve any changes to the town's budget if they were needed. The council has until Dec. 31 to change the salary ordinance. Stoelting said he doesn't believe Syracuse should have to pay what the bigger cities' departments pay.
"Somehow I don't think we can keep up with the Warsaws, Elkharts and Goshens," he said.
Siegel said he wanted more financial specifics on how much money the town will take in next year - which the town council told him throughout the meeting was not possible because of uncertainties in how much tax revenue the town would get next year and what the Indiana State Board of Accounts would want the town to cut. Town budgets are based on estimates and assumptions only.
During the meeting, Koble and Stoelting questioned some of the towns McGrath used in the study because they said the towns were not comparable to Syracuse.
"I don't see how Syracuse, with its 3,000 people, can compete with Warsaw's 12,000 people," Stoelting said.
Siegel questioned if Syracuse's police were helping the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department more than the town could afford.
"Cooperation is one thing," agreed Hane, "taking care of the district is another thing."
Carwile and Koble said the Syracuse and county police have a history of not working together. Koble said she wants the county and SPD to cooperate, as does Carwile.
If there's no cooperation between the two departments, said Carwile, "you'll be in trouble."
Hane said he wasn't saying the two departments shouldn't cooperate, but sometimes "I think they take advantage of us."
Carwile said it works both ways, sometimes the Syracuse PD takes advantage of the county, too.
Siegel said he hears complaints all the time from Syracuse residents that the Syracuse police are all over the county but that they should stay in their district.
The council also discussed the efficiency of the town's various departments.
The department heads, said clerk Elgie Tatman, are very good at keeping their budgets lean, and last year even cut their budgets without being asked to by the council. "That's what kind of department heads you have," she said.
For 2002, 94.8 percent of the town's budget was funded, said Julie Kline, clerk's office, but the departments spent only 87 percent. "Because they really tightened their belts last year, some of the money carried over into the budget this year," said Kline.
Carwile said none of the departments go "hog wild" with the money they have in their budgets.
Later, Carwile praised the town's employees. "We are exceptional as far as personnel goes. We have some of the best personnel in the county," she said. Good pay will keep the good people working for the town, she said.
An issue the council agreed to look at later, which Mickey Scott, Syracuse fire chief, brought up, was benefits, including retirement. He said, "More than the pay issue, that's the biggest issue these guys have."
Members of the town council are Carwile, Koble, Stoelting, Hane and Siegel. Their regular meeting is Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the town hall with a special meeting at 5 p.m. [[In-content Ad]]
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SYRACUSE - Three weeks after hearing a presentation from McGrath Consulting Inc. on Syracuse police and fire department employee pay, the town council took up the issue at a special meeting Monday.
With councilmen Paul Stoelting and Larry Siegel opposed, the council voted three to two to accept the consulting firm's recommended option on police and fire employee pay with modifications.
McGrath recommended addition of a master police officer grade after five years of service and in the future agreeing to look at adding staff, including an assistant fire chief. The council decided not to consider adding the position of an assistant fire chief until next year.
The motion also included a modification allowing town manager Brian Redshaw to monitor the salary rates with input from the council and for a committee to be set up to establish minimum hiring guidelines and incentive bonuses starting with 2004.
The recommended option is compensation for the employees based on market value plus merit with a maximum rate.
Approving the motion were Carol Koble, Barbara Carwile and Bill Hane.
Asked by Koble why they were opposed to her motion, Stoelting said he didn't believe that in December the town council would approve any changes to the town's budget if they were needed. The council has until Dec. 31 to change the salary ordinance. Stoelting said he doesn't believe Syracuse should have to pay what the bigger cities' departments pay.
"Somehow I don't think we can keep up with the Warsaws, Elkharts and Goshens," he said.
Siegel said he wanted more financial specifics on how much money the town will take in next year - which the town council told him throughout the meeting was not possible because of uncertainties in how much tax revenue the town would get next year and what the Indiana State Board of Accounts would want the town to cut. Town budgets are based on estimates and assumptions only.
During the meeting, Koble and Stoelting questioned some of the towns McGrath used in the study because they said the towns were not comparable to Syracuse.
"I don't see how Syracuse, with its 3,000 people, can compete with Warsaw's 12,000 people," Stoelting said.
Siegel questioned if Syracuse's police were helping the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department more than the town could afford.
"Cooperation is one thing," agreed Hane, "taking care of the district is another thing."
Carwile and Koble said the Syracuse and county police have a history of not working together. Koble said she wants the county and SPD to cooperate, as does Carwile.
If there's no cooperation between the two departments, said Carwile, "you'll be in trouble."
Hane said he wasn't saying the two departments shouldn't cooperate, but sometimes "I think they take advantage of us."
Carwile said it works both ways, sometimes the Syracuse PD takes advantage of the county, too.
Siegel said he hears complaints all the time from Syracuse residents that the Syracuse police are all over the county but that they should stay in their district.
The council also discussed the efficiency of the town's various departments.
The department heads, said clerk Elgie Tatman, are very good at keeping their budgets lean, and last year even cut their budgets without being asked to by the council. "That's what kind of department heads you have," she said.
For 2002, 94.8 percent of the town's budget was funded, said Julie Kline, clerk's office, but the departments spent only 87 percent. "Because they really tightened their belts last year, some of the money carried over into the budget this year," said Kline.
Carwile said none of the departments go "hog wild" with the money they have in their budgets.
Later, Carwile praised the town's employees. "We are exceptional as far as personnel goes. We have some of the best personnel in the county," she said. Good pay will keep the good people working for the town, she said.
An issue the council agreed to look at later, which Mickey Scott, Syracuse fire chief, brought up, was benefits, including retirement. He said, "More than the pay issue, that's the biggest issue these guys have."
Members of the town council are Carwile, Koble, Stoelting, Hane and Siegel. Their regular meeting is Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the town hall with a special meeting at 5 p.m. [[In-content Ad]]