Sheriff contract eyed (1/19/04)

With just under three years left in his second and final four-year term as sheriff, Todd Penrod said this morning he would be willing to discuss with county officials the way he is compensated.

But he didn’t make any promises.

The issue was broached this morning by Milo Miller Jr., president of Jay County Commissioners. Miller asked Penrod, who had a gross income of $100,330 in 2003, if Penrod would be willing to discuss a contract that would, in all likelihood, dramatically reduce his pay.

Also this morning, Miller and fellow commissioners Mike Leonhard and Gary Theurer appointed rural Portland resident Ken Wellman as the new superintendent of the Jay County Highway Department. Wellman, a former member of the Portland Police Department, takes over for Robert Sours, who resigned in December to become Portland’s police chief under new mayor Bruce Hosier.

On the issue of sheriff’s pay, by far the biggest share of Penrod’s gross income last year — $62,337 — came from savings on meals served to inmates in the Jay County Jail. A long-standing state law allows sheriffs to keep the difference between the amount allocated per meal per prisoner and the actual amount spent.

Last year, about $98,000, or $1.76 per meal per prisoner, was allocated to meal line items from two different budgets (county general and county corrections) to pay for inmate meals. Of that total, approximately $36,000 actually was spent on meals, meaning cost-saving efforts by Penrod shaved the amount spent per meal to about 55 or 60 cents. The minimum per-meal amount allocated is mandated by state law.

“I’d be more than happy to sit down and talk,” said Penrod, who said he works hard to find the least expensive way to provide meals that meet state dietary standards.

Penrod said that the county’s total annual cost could go even higher if a sheriff takes office under a contract and chooses not to attempt to save money on the cost of meals.

Commissioners’ attorney Brad Burkett said that the meal money arrangement will have a significant impact on the amount of pension that Penrod will be eligible to receive.

At age 55 and after 20 years of service, Jay County officers are eligible to receive 50 percent of the average of their five highest annual salaries — with a cap of $90,000 on the average. That would give Penrod an annual pension of $45,000.

A state law passed in the early 1990s allows sheriffs in Indiana to be compensated in one of three ways: The current salary/meal money arrangement; a contract for a salary equal to 60 percent of the pay for a full-time prosecutor ($54,000) or a contract containing terms agreed on by the sheriff, commissioners and county council.

The appointment of Wellman ends a search of more than month to find a new supervisor for the highway department. Jay County engineer Dan Watson has served as the interim superintendent.

Wellman has served as a truck driver for Hy-Line Hatchery, Warren, since 2000, when he retired from the police department. Wellman also ran for county clerk in 2000, losing to current clerk Jane Ann Runyon.[[In-content Ad]]