Council OK's plan for township trustees (08/10/06)

One night after a lengthy debate over salary increases, a potentially thorny issue was resolved quickly.

Members of the Jay County Council, who have struggled with the issue of compensation for township trustees for years, approved a plan Wednesday on the second evening of back-to-back budget hearings that left everyone relatively happy.

The council approved salary increases for 2007 of $200 for trustees and deputy trustees in Bearcreek, Greene, Jefferson and Penn townships; $150 for Jackson, Noble and Pike townships; and $100 for Knox, Madison and Wabash townships.

The plan was proposed by councilwoman Judy LeMaster, who had talked to several trustees and reviewed the amount of assessments handled in the past.

The council made virtually no cuts in its two nights of hearings, other than reducing salary increases to 3 percent. County employees who are covered by the pay plan will receive an average 3 percent pay increase in 2007.

Jay County Auditor Freda Corwin said she is not sure what the total county tax rate will be for taxes payable in 2007, but estimates a 4 percent increase. She said final figures on the county's assessed valuation, or the total amount of total taxable property, are not complete.

The first reading and public hearing for the budget is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m., with second reading and adoption set for Wednesday, Sept. 13, along with the regular council meeting.

During Wednesday's regular meeting, the council gave a big boost to an effort to solve a problem with failing septic systems southwest of Portland as it approved funds to hire an engineering firm.

Jay County Commissioners requested an additional appropriation of $117,700 from their infrastructure fund to pay Commonwealth Engineers Inc.

Commonwealth is coordinating the formation of a regional sewage district in and around the Foxfire addition. Several septic systems in the area have failed or are failing, and the county was ordered by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to take care of the problem.

Money in the infrastructure fund is generated through a host fee paid to the county by the Jay County Landfill.

Also approved by the council were a series of additional appropriations to fund the position of public health coordinator through grant funds. Amounts OK'd by the council were $32,441 for salary, $2,162 for social security, $4,300 for health insurance, $1,953 for PERF and $2,152.96 for travel/milegage.

In other business, the council:

•Approved an agreement with Jonna Reece Consulting of Muncie to assist with personnel and pay plan issues on an hourly, as-needed basis. Reece will be paid $25 per hour, with a cap of 50 hours annually.

In 2007, a review of all job descriptions and internal and external comparisons of pay levels will be done.

•Approved a tax abatement on a major expansion project to a Noble Township poultry operation.

Minnich Poultry LLC is building a new building which will house 320,000 laying hens at a cost of $730,000.

The company expects to add approximately six employees, bringing the total employed to 42.[[In-content Ad]]