Council freezes county wages

After a 2-percent wage increase this year, county employees will see no raises in 2016.
County council voted unanimously to freeze wages at its Wednesday evening meeting, which included a budget review.
Council member Ted Champ said while “everybody deserves a raise,” it’s not something Jay County can afford this year.
Each county department presented its budget requests for 2016, with most asking for a 3-percent raise. But in addition to not getting raises, most departments will have to find ways to cut an additional 7 to 10 percent from their budgets.
Many department heads said during their presentations that they could lower their office supply budgets. Some said they could cut part-time hours and postage.
To get to a level the state will accept, though, the departments funded by taxes will have to take more than those steps. Next year’s budget needs to be about $631,000 less than 2015’s, which was $15,280,133.
The reduction is necessary partly because of some losses in revenue, but also because of Indiana’s changes to county accounting, auditor Anna Culy explained. About $1.3 million of Local Option Income Tax money that used to be counted as revenue in the county general fund has to be counted differently now. Jay County still has the money, but now that it’s classified differently, the revenue the county is basing its budget on is lower.
Requested budget increases included: $6,800 in contractual services for the sheriff’s office because it anticipates higher rates for radio services and the Indiana Data and Communications System; $15,000 for meals at Jay County Jail because of an expected increase in prisoners; and a $31,890 increase to $70,000 in autopsy expenses for the coroner because the closest place to have them performed is now Fort Wayne instead of Muncie.

In the cumulative bridge fund, the bridge inspection line item went from $0 to $105,000.
That was to be expected, however, and the net cost won’t be that high.
“That amount that’s in there, 80 percent of that gets reimbursed,” said Dan Watson, county engineer. “It’s an every two year thing.”
One significant decrease was Jay Emergency Medical Service’s base rental at Jay County Hospital dropping from $6,000 per year to $1. The Jay County Hospital Board of Trustees approved the new rate in May to make it easier for EMS to remain at the hospital.
Though there will be no wage increases, council members Jeanne Houchins, Mike Leonhard, Cindy Newton, Mike Rockwell, Gary Theurer, Bob Vance and Champ did approve longevity pay for 2016, which at $100 per employee will total about $10,800.