Pay plan is hot topic for council (05/10/07)

Some department heads feel the county's pay plan needs restructuring and the Jay County Council's upcoming discussions on the issue could become contentious as those leaders make their concerns known.

The council met Wednesday night and heard Jonna Reece of Reece Consulting, Muncie, briefly explain how the county's pay plan is structured for the next three years.

But some of those plans didn't go down well with highway department superintendent Ken Wellman and sheriff Ray Newton.

Wellman has regularly expressed concern to both the council and county commissioners about starting wages for some of the highway employees, and Newton has also addressed starting wages for department deputies and part-time workers.

In her recommendation, Reece suggested raising the starting wages for highway truck drivers who are currently paid $10 per hour, but did not address other employment positions. Other part-time positions should be studied on an individual basis, she said.

"You need to look at the definition of part-time," she said about the various departments.

Reece also told the council Wednesday that she has taken a government position and will be retiring from her consulting firm soon.

"You're set for three years," she said about the plan she presented to the council for consideration. "I think you'll be in pretty good shape."

"You may solve that position, but it doesn't help everyone else," Wellman said defensively later in the meeting about the recommendations. "Jonna's correcting only one problem. The truck driver is only one part of the problem. The whole system has to be restructured. Now we're right back to where we started again."

Wellman said that starting pay for heavy equipment workers should also be increased.

Newton agreed with Wellman's observations.

"I can understand what Kenny is saying," Newton said. "All we want you to do is take a look at it. I need help over there. The department is growing and we need to grow."

Since taking office in January, Newton has been faced with expensive maintenance issues at the security center, administrative space issues, as well as an increase in pay for hourly employees. He said he also would like to see the deputy starting salaries increased and to create some additional administrative positions.

In the past few months commissioners have been seriously looking at expanding and updating the jail on West Water Street.

"We have a lot to consider before budget time," council president, Marilyn Coleman said, "but we can't give everybody everything they want."

As budget discussions begin in July, she reminded department heads that salary requests must be submitted by July 1. The 2008 budget is expected to be adopted in August.

"The responsibility lies right here at this table," council member Gerald Kirby said about the requests.

Also Wednesday night the council suspended rules and adopted on the second reading a resolution pledging tax increment financing (TIF) funds to the Poet Biorefining - Portland infrastructure project.

The county established the TIF district in November after a request from Poet officials (formerly Premier Ethanol), to help with the costs of infrastructure at the ethanol production site southwest of Portland.

Greg Guerrettaz with FSG Corp., Indianapolis, said bonds for the tax-exemption portion of the project would be offered first. That portion includes the county's construction of a sewer line from a site just north of the Salamonie River extending to the Portland Wastewater Treatment plant.

Bonding for the taxable part of the project - to be paid for up-front by Poet - will be offered at a later date.

"We're trying to cover every base we can," Guerrettaz said.

Additionally Wednesday the council approved additional appropriations including:

•$13,586.40 for jailer's wages from county general.

This was a position approved by the council in April after a request by Newton.

•$7,773 from court ASAA and E fund to the superior court substance abuse program for Meridian Services.

•$2,800 for office equipment from the community corrections project income fund for a new copier.

•$805 for miscellaneous expense from the health fund. That expense involved the recent clean-up of hundreds of animal carcasses in Madison Township.

•$4,747 from sheriff continuing education fund for sheriff department training.

Kirby questioned Newton about that expense and Newton said although there were no specified training sessions, he said he wanted to have the money available for future training.

"Education is very important in law enforcement," Newton said. "If I can give them the opportunity to go, it will benefit the officers and the taxpayers."

"But I like to know where the money's going first," Kirby said before voting to approve the appropriation.[[In-content Ad]]If the copy machines can keep up the pace with the employees, most of Jay County's 26,500 spring installment property tax statements for real estate and personal property should be mailed out by Saturday complete with about a 24 percent increase.

The deadline for payment of the first installment of the 2007 taxes will be June 8.

Jay County Auditor Freda Corwin said today the county received notification from the state May 3 that tax rates were approved and ready to run.

Work began immediately, but an incorrect calculation was discovered Monday and the process was started over again Tuesday.

Since that time Corwin, along with county treasurer Robin Alberson, have worked tirelessly to get the statements completed.

Corwin said she and Alberson worked Tuesday while the courthouse was closed for the primary election. She and Alberson each worked before, during, and after Wednesday night's county council meeting until after 9 p.m.

Today "six girls are sitting at a big desk" in the treasurer's office putting those statements into envelopes in preparation for mailing, Corwin added.

She said she was also working to get the mailing underway before the cost of postage increases Tuesday.

"I feel bad that they only have a month notice," Corwin said about the deadline, but explained state regulations say only 15 days notice before the deadline is necessary.

Because of the significant increase in this year's property taxes, the state legislature has approved a rebate expected to be sent to homestead property owners in December, Corwin said today.