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Calling it "being aggressive," the Kosciusko County Council approved a 6 percent wage increase to all county employees for 2001, including all elected officials and trustees, at their final budget hearing Thursday.
Councilman Jim Tranter, who also serves on the wage committee, said a lot of time and money was spent with the wage consulting firm of Waggoner, Irwin and Scheele, Muncie, on the county's salary scales. "We do not feel this is the time for retreating," he said. He told the other councilmen a 6 percent raise is "very aggressive. ... We want to send a message to our county employees that they are doing a good job. ... We appreciate what they are doing and that's why we're recommending 6 percent."
While he said he respected the wage committee's recommendation, councilman Tom Anglin said that by approving a percentage raise for all county employees, the salaries are being spread out even more amongst county employees. The salaries, he said, should be kept closer together, possibly by approving the same amount of dollars for all employees.
If one employee has a greater salary increase than another, Tranter said, they probably earned it. "If a person is willing to work harder ... they should get it," he said.
Council president Brad Tandy said the committee looked at the employees who quit their county jobs, and most left because of wage issues. County Administrator Ron Robinson said since Jan. 1, approximately 250 county employees have left. "That's not retirement people, that's people who have left," he said.
Harold Jones, councilman, said he is concerned about the cost of training new employees if the turnover rate continues. And while he doesn't like percentage increases, he said, he will support the wage committee's recommendation because he knows the cost of training.
For several years, the county only gave percentage increases, said councilman Lewis Bertsch. People at the top get larger increases than the employees at the bottom, he said, and the gap only gets farther apart. "I think the 6 percent is too high. It's well above the inflation rate."
Jones agreed that the 6 percent was probably too much, but said it may be necessary.
Tranter told the council the 6 percent increase will help Kosciusko County get closer to paying their employees market value. After Bertsch asked if the council will approve similar salary increases next year and the year after, Tranter said, "Not necessarily."
Anglin said he didn't dispute the fact that the county is paying their employees well, but they also can pay them well with a flat increase.
Anglin voted against the 6 percent wage increase. Tandy, Tranter, Bertsch, Jones and Kinsey voted in favor of the wage increase. Kathryn Teel was not present for the meeting.
The council also approved raising the county's starting hourly and part-time employee wages from $7.80 to $8 an hour for 2001.
Members of the various county boards, such as the boards of zoning appeals and drainage, were approved for a $5 increase per meeting. In 2001, they will receive $80 per meeting.
The county council approved a hearing officer for the Board of Zoning Appeals with a salary of $80 per meeting. The hearing officer, instead of the full BZA board, will hear the "simpler" zoning casings. The Kosciusko County Commissioners must still approve the ordinance to create the position at their Tuesday meeting.
Township trustees asked to be included in the county health insurance and PERF programs. Tranter said that since the two programs are designed for the benefits of full-time county employees, the wage committee thought the benefits should not be extended to include part-time employees. No motion was made so the request was denied.
