This morning's Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting was full of verbalized emotions.
Commissioners heard concerns for 1-1/2 hours from Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department officials and the public regarding the county council's recent decision to reduce all county employees' salaries by 7 percent. The county has about 350 employees, and about 100 people attended the meeting.Commissioners can make recommendations to the county council, but the council is the fiscal decision-making body.
In a move to help balance the 2010 budget, the county council voted at its Sept. 10 meeting to cut employee salaries by 7 percent. The only exceptions are the county prosecutor, parole officers and judges whose salaries are set by state statute.
The council held a two-hour executive session Sept. 10 before the public meeting to finalize details of the budget.
Kosciusko County Sheriff Rocky Goshert was exempt from the pay cut because he had a contract with the county. In 2007, Goshert froze his salary for his term at $94,993 a year.
The council, at its Sept. 10 meeting, also approved cutting not-for-profit budgets by 10 percent.
Steve Hearn, Kosciusko County prosecuting attorney, spoke this morning during the meeting asking the commissioners to look into the pay cuts.
"I'm taking the first step and think there are other alternatives," Hearn said. "I'm representing the employees whose wages were slashed, and I am not sure what happened because we did not receive an official notice of the executive session."
Aaron Rovenstine, Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department captain, said, "This is the first opportunity for employees to face you and you as commissioners are good people put in a unique situation."
Rovenstine said the county has had efficient government for the past 20 years, and elected officials should be held accountable to employees and tax payers.
Rovenstine said he was disappointed that department heads were not explained the pay cuts. He said department heads owed it to their employees to inform them before the decision was made that pay cuts were being considered.
Goshert said he had hoped department heads had been aware of the pay cuts to discuss them with their employees.
Commissioner Brad Jackson said he was sympathetic to the pay cuts.
"We are put in a corner as commissioners and will work to look at all of the budgets, but I think the council has the best interest of the county at heart," Jackson said.
He and County Commissioners President Bob Conley did not attend Thursday's county council meeting, but commissioner Ron Truex was present.
This morning, Truex said the commissioners will look into the pay cuts and make recommendations to the county council. He also said the commissioners are not the fiscal decision-making body.
Conley said he is sympathetic with the county employees' wages being cut.
"It hurts to think people who are coming to work and putting their lives on the line are getting their salaries reduced," Conley said.
Conley said the commissioners are dedicated to helping the department heads and employees understand the budget.
"We will do everything in our power to decide where money is and how it should be spent," Conley said.
County Administrator Ron Robinson said the commissioners will work to look at the budget.
"... I will look into the budget and its details, if money can be saved I am confident we can do that rather than having pay cuts," Robinson said.
