Council OK's deal for new sheriff (12/14/06)

Incoming Jay County Sheriff Ray Newton has agreed to a salary contract of $79,000 for 2007.

For the "first time in the history of Jay County," according to Jay County Commissioners president, Milo Miller Jr., the position will be paid a fixed annual salary.

Jay County Council members entered into a contract with Newton during their regular meeting Wednesday night, and it will be finalized when commissioners sign on Monday.

"I think it's a pretty good deal," Miller told council members.

The contract must be completed by Jan. 1 to comply with state statutes that stipulate an elected official's salary cannot be changed after Jan. 1 of any year.

The sheriff's salary contract has been a topic of discussion for several years and members of the current council decided this year to undertake that action after it was a point Newton emphasized during his recent successful election campaign.

In the past the position was paid a salary from the county's general fund and the sheriff additionally received sheriff's tax warrant collection fees and unused prisoner meal allowances, taking the total pay to over $100,000 for 2006.

According to the contract, the tax collection fees will be income for the county, which will also keep unused meal money.

The contract is expected to save at least $30,000 annually for the county's general fund, Miller said.

Council members encouraged Newton to continue to use his best judgment overseeing and administering his prison meal purchasing responsibilities and he has agreed to satisfy those responsibilities, the contract states.

Newton will also be entitled to a three percent raise for 2008, 2009 and 2010, based on the $79,000 figure.

"I have no problem with this," said councilman Gerald Kirby, "none, zero."

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When Newton takes over the reins in January, replacing two-term sheriff, Todd Penrod, he will be making new appointments in the department.

He told council members Wednesday night Rob Bicknell, who is currently an investigator, will be named chief deputy and Penrod will take Bicknell's place as an investigator.

Because of their years of experience, Newton asked that their starting salaries be amended to pay them higher than the minimum pay for those positions.

The council approved that request.

Bicknell will be paid $40,976 annually and Penrod's salary was set at $39,374 for 2007. According to the pay scale the county has in place, the minimum (or normal starting salary) for the chief deputy is $30,347.20, and a starting investigator is paid $29,161.60.

"The last 16 years have been awesome," Penrod, who served as a deputy in the department before becoming sheriff eight years ago, told the council Wednesday.

"I have the greatest respect for the council and the commissioners and especially this lady here on the end," he said of auditor, Freda Corwin. "I hear war stories from other sheriffs all the time ..."

"I think Ray's gonna do a super job," he added.

Additionally Wednesday night the council also approved a pay scale amendment for the director of the community corrections department.

Garth "Mike" LeMaster who has been in that position since the local department was formed in 2001 will be retiring Jan. 1, and Melissa Smith, a resident of Randolph County who is currently serving as home detention supervisor for Wayne County Community Corrections, will be taking LeMaster's job.

She will be paid $29,515.20 in 2007. The minimum salary for that spot according to the county's pay scale is $26,769.60. The funding for that department is from a grant from the Indiana Department of Correction.

Also Wednesday night council president, Marilyn Coleman presented certificates of appreciation to councilmembers Jack Houck and Todd Wickey.

Houck, who has served on the council for eight years, did not seek re-election to his seat, and Wickey, who is completing his first term, was defeated in the recent election.

Houck was in attendance at Wednesday's meeting and Wickey was not.

Council members also approved additional appropriations for grand and petit jurors from the jury fees fund of $2,500; sheriff department uniforms from the bulletproof vest grant fund of $2,914.95; and superior court translation service from the court interpreter grant fund for $99.36.

Transfers included $641 from county commissioner's fund to workman's comp fund to pay Jay County High School students from the ICE program; $2,674.31 from truck driver's fund for the county highway department to heavy equipment; $1,200 from the sheriff's office equipment fund to Social Security and $800 from office equipment to PERF to make payroll deductions.[[In-content Ad]]Local attorney Robert Clamme, the incoming prosecuting attorney for Jay County, told members of the county council Wednesday he plans to be serving in that position as a full-time official.

Because of that he explained, his annual salary of $113,000 will be paid by the state, thus saving the county money as well. Clamme told the council that with the changes, total savings in that department could range from $26,180 to $33,103 annually.

Brad Burkett, who currently serves as a part-time prosecutor, is currently paid $14,175.70 by the county in addition to his salary of $67,800 from the state.