Council OKs salary ordinance

The county’s salary ordinance is in place.

Jay County Council on Wednesday approved its salary ordinance for 2019, codifying the raises and other changes it had OK’d in previous months.

Council members also approved several additional appropriations.

Among the changes the salary ordinance makes for next year is a change in the county’s contribution toward health insurance. Commissioners and council previously approved a move to switch from the flat $550 contribution per month to cover insurance costs, which are going up 4 percent. Those with individual coverage will continue to receive the $550, while those with plans for the employee plus children will get $650, those with the employee plus spouse will get $750 and those with the employee plus family will get $850.

Those changes are projected to cost the county $34,800 in 2019.

The salary ordinance also makes official raises for county employees ranging from 1 to 5 percent based on their job classification. The different raise levels are part of an ongoing effort to provide raises for all employees while also bringing certain groups closer to the external midpoint. The ordinance also designates separate pay rates for part-time truck drivers with and without a commercial driver’s license.

Other changes the county made include adjusting pay periods to put all employees on the same schedule, requiring time sheets to be turned in with payroll forms and requiring that accrued comp time of more than 40 hours be paid out on June 1 and Dec. 1.

A clarification was also made to note that sheriff’s deputies will work a total of 80 hours over a two-week span rather than 40 hours each week. That change reflects the reality of how deputies are scheduled.

Some of those items were required in order to bring the county in compliance with Indiana code while others were to help control and better monitor comp time.

“I think all of that is going to end up helping,” said council president Jeanne Houchins.