County Debates Longevity Pay

A pay device used in the sheriff's budget for years is being sought by other department heads and is causing debate among Kosciusko County officials.

In an effort to reward long-time employees and put more distance between the pay of top employees and the people below them, department heads are turning to a device called longevity pay.

The county assessor's office and four townships are seeking to establish longevity pay.

The sheriff's and the jail budget has used longevity for years.

"It's a benefit that keeps people here. It entices long-term employment," said Sheriff Al Rovenstine.

In offices where the idea is being proposed, the amount needed to pay employees for longevity is only $1,000 to $3,000.

But in the sheriff's department, which has more personnel, the item has grown as years have passed.

This year longevity pay in the sheriff's budget and jail budget combined will cost $116,000, and that figure will rise to $126,000 in 1998 if approved.

During the first two nights of budget reviews, Kosciusko County Council has avoided decisions on establishing new longevity programs and will likely cast a decision on Thursday or early next month.

Council president Jim Tranter said he doesn't know enough about the issue to support it and is uncertain how council will vote.

"There may be other ways to reward years of service, such as a pay raise," Tranter said.

"The danger of longevity is ... many times you can reward people who are not carrying a full load but just getting by," Tranter said.

County assessor Sue Ann Mitchell said the program is a way of rewarding employees with experience who don't need a lot of supervision.

Mitchell supports the program because it's a good way to create more of a gap in the salary levels of top employees.

Salary hikes by way of percentage increases for employees tends to diminish the gap between the pay rates of top employees. As an example, Mitchell said there is only about a $20 difference in the paycheck of her top deputy and the next highest deputy.

The alternative to percentage increases would be individual increments for each employee, but that would be tedious and time consuming.

A good department head can use discretion in allotting extra dollars for employees deserving a raise, Tranter said.

Mitchell said she realizes the proposal may not pass this year but it has at least laid the groundwork for next year.

"Sometimes you have to plant the seed and let them think about it," Mitchell said.

Under the current proposed plan, employees with five years get a 3 percent bonus, while those with 10 years get a 5 percent bonus. That's slightly different from the sheriff's program in which employees get a 1 percent hike added to their pay for each year of service after two years.

A good department head can use discretion in allotting extra dollars for employees deserving a raise, Tranter said.

While proposals to establish longevity in some offices might not be approved this year, council would likely not eliminate existing longevity programs since it would translate into a reduction in pay for the employees.

Taking away the longevity would start a war, Rovenstine said.

The sheriff's department established its longevity program more than a dozen years ago after seeking it for several years. At the time, other departments were told to propose it as well, but failed to do so, Rovenstine said.