In the dozens and dozens of budget sheets used by Kosciusko County Council as it begins to review the proposed 2018 budget, new spending items are highlighted in blue.

And there are not that many blue highlights to consider.

While there are numerous requests for additional spending, some of which involve the expanded work release program and numerous other incidental spending needs, county officials are looking at very few big ticket additions for the upcoming year.

During the first of two budget sessions this week, council began by embracing a recommendation from the wage committee to offer a 3 percent hike in pay for full- and part-time employees.

The recommendation was presented by council member Sue Ann Mitchell, who also suggested the pay hikes not be mandatory and that department heads should provide further input in the coming months before the budget is finalized.

The pay hike is more than in past recent years when the county had settled for 1 and 2 percent pay hikes

The proposal reflects the current job market and an acknowledgment that recent pay hikes have not kept pace with pay levels in the private sector, Mitchell said.

Council approved the wage committee’s recommendation by a 6-1 vote. The one vote against came from Tom Anglin, who said he supported the 3 percent raise, but preferred a flat rate rather than the proposed flexibility left for department heads.

Monday’s session lasted about two hours and was brief compared to years ago when council would spend upward of a dozen hours over three or four days reviewing budgets.

Much of that credit, Mitchell said, goes to department heads who, she said, have limited requests and offered plans that appeared to be “pared down to the bone.”

One of the few major proposals, though, was a request by prosecutor Dan Hampton, who sought to add a deputy prosecutor at a cost of about $88,000.

The request was not supported by the wage committee or council.

Part of the reason for declining the request is the General Assembly’s failure to approve plans to establish a fifth court in 2018.

Officials believe establishment of a fifth court is more likely next year and that such a request would be better to consider next year so that the entire plan to add a court can be considered at the same time.

Hampton told council members the request has nothing to do with a future new court and more to do with a 20 percent increase in its caseload.

Council will reconvene at 6 p.m. Thursday when it will review the solid waste budget and consider a few other changes.

The entire proposed operating budget for 2018 is $43,830,129, but officials note that that figure includes an initial 10 percent pay hike plan, which inflates the budget far beyond what it will eventually be. That step is standard because budget requests can only be reduced and not increased.

The difference in the proposed budget compared to 2017 is about $5.7 million, but officials expect that to be greatly reduced.

The budget will be finalized in September.