July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Pay could be big budget issue (08/05/2008)
Jay County Council
By By STEVE GARBACZ-
The word "mess" was thrown around more than a few times as the county prepares for figuring out salary increases and looks forward to budget time.
The first county budget meeting is Thursday as the county council works to set Jay County finances for 2009. In a county personnel committee meeting Monday, council members Marilyn Coleman and Gerald Kirby and county auditor Nancy Culy made it obvious it could be a stressful experience.
The personnel committee members briefly discussed options regarding salary increases with personnel consultant Kent Irwin, from Waggoner, Irwin, Scheele & Associates. Coleman was looking for suggestions of what other counties were doing to handle the headache-inducing problem of wage increase.
"Whatever we do we're going to make people mad," she said.
One problem is about 20 employees have topped out of the county's pay scale, that increases year by year based on longevity. The grid maxes out after 10 years, leaves employees at a pay ceiling. Getting a cost of living raise, and not a a yearly "step" increase, is naturally unpopular.
"What do we want out of longevity?" asked Irwin.
"Retention," responded Kirby, but both Coleman and Kirby agreed employees don't typically leave because of money issues.
Coleman was against extending the longevity scale indefinitely, but is then faced with disgruntled senior employees who want to keep ahead of the newer employees.
"I don't want to extend this thing out but I don't know what to do," she said.
"I wouldn't increase this longevity," Irwin said about the possibility of adding more steps in the pay plan.
"It's just time, but it doesn't have to do with performance," Irwin said and suggested merit pay as a solution.
The county did once award merit pay but axed it years ago after it became "an absolute nightmare," Kirby said.
While some departments evaluated their employees and awarded a bonus, some departments just gave the max to all its employees. And, of course, people talk to one another and then would gripe when they found out another person got a bigger bonus.
Another problem Irwin saw with Jay County's pay structure is that the county employees are paid on the same grid.
"You can't compare a truck driver to a deputy," Irwin said. He said different departments and different job classifications should have different pay grids to avoid comparing apples to oranges.
It's one of the major challenges facing the council as they hash out the county's budgets throughout August.
"I'd rather mow your yard than come over here," Kirby said to Coleman, trying to escape Thursday's budget meeting.
"It's a payroll nightmare," Culy said.
"It is a mess," Coleman said.[[In-content Ad]]Part three of the county's personnel policy review went smoothly Monday as the personnel committee finished its evaluation.
Council members Marilyn Coleman and Gerald Kirby, commissioner Milo Miller Jr., Jay County Auditor Nancy Culy and personnel consultant Kent Irwin finished up the policy packet Monday afternoon.
They covered several sections including: safety reporting, phone and fax usage, information technology usage, drug policy, smoking policy, travel compensation, personal conduct, harassment, and the discipline procedure.
Of the policies, Culy was thankful for the update in the discipline procedures, which will hopefully set the steps for department heads to handle potential problems.
"If nothing else sinks in, I think this is great," she said.
"The challenge with county government is coming up with some sort of consistency," Irwin said before reviewing the section.
Violations have been broken down into categories with suggested consequences.
Kirby suggested "tightening up" some of the language in the procedure to make sure there was no doubt as to how people should proceed.
The committee will meet again on Sept. 8 to take a final look over the entire policy and then approve it.
The finished packet will ideally be signed by the commissioners, county council and all elected county officials and department heads.
The first county budget meeting is Thursday as the county council works to set Jay County finances for 2009. In a county personnel committee meeting Monday, council members Marilyn Coleman and Gerald Kirby and county auditor Nancy Culy made it obvious it could be a stressful experience.
The personnel committee members briefly discussed options regarding salary increases with personnel consultant Kent Irwin, from Waggoner, Irwin, Scheele & Associates. Coleman was looking for suggestions of what other counties were doing to handle the headache-inducing problem of wage increase.
"Whatever we do we're going to make people mad," she said.
One problem is about 20 employees have topped out of the county's pay scale, that increases year by year based on longevity. The grid maxes out after 10 years, leaves employees at a pay ceiling. Getting a cost of living raise, and not a a yearly "step" increase, is naturally unpopular.
"What do we want out of longevity?" asked Irwin.
"Retention," responded Kirby, but both Coleman and Kirby agreed employees don't typically leave because of money issues.
Coleman was against extending the longevity scale indefinitely, but is then faced with disgruntled senior employees who want to keep ahead of the newer employees.
"I don't want to extend this thing out but I don't know what to do," she said.
"I wouldn't increase this longevity," Irwin said about the possibility of adding more steps in the pay plan.
"It's just time, but it doesn't have to do with performance," Irwin said and suggested merit pay as a solution.
The county did once award merit pay but axed it years ago after it became "an absolute nightmare," Kirby said.
While some departments evaluated their employees and awarded a bonus, some departments just gave the max to all its employees. And, of course, people talk to one another and then would gripe when they found out another person got a bigger bonus.
Another problem Irwin saw with Jay County's pay structure is that the county employees are paid on the same grid.
"You can't compare a truck driver to a deputy," Irwin said. He said different departments and different job classifications should have different pay grids to avoid comparing apples to oranges.
It's one of the major challenges facing the council as they hash out the county's budgets throughout August.
"I'd rather mow your yard than come over here," Kirby said to Coleman, trying to escape Thursday's budget meeting.
"It's a payroll nightmare," Culy said.
"It is a mess," Coleman said.[[In-content Ad]]Part three of the county's personnel policy review went smoothly Monday as the personnel committee finished its evaluation.
Council members Marilyn Coleman and Gerald Kirby, commissioner Milo Miller Jr., Jay County Auditor Nancy Culy and personnel consultant Kent Irwin finished up the policy packet Monday afternoon.
They covered several sections including: safety reporting, phone and fax usage, information technology usage, drug policy, smoking policy, travel compensation, personal conduct, harassment, and the discipline procedure.
Of the policies, Culy was thankful for the update in the discipline procedures, which will hopefully set the steps for department heads to handle potential problems.
"If nothing else sinks in, I think this is great," she said.
"The challenge with county government is coming up with some sort of consistency," Irwin said before reviewing the section.
Violations have been broken down into categories with suggested consequences.
Kirby suggested "tightening up" some of the language in the procedure to make sure there was no doubt as to how people should proceed.
The committee will meet again on Sept. 8 to take a final look over the entire policy and then approve it.
The finished packet will ideally be signed by the commissioners, county council and all elected county officials and department heads.
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD