Council gives quick OK to raises

There will be no long, drawn-out process on employee raises this year.

Portland City Council was presented with, discussed and approved the city’s 2024 payroll ordinance Monday with employees receiving 4.5% raises. The entire process took just over seven minutes.

Portland Mayor John Boggs presented council members with his proposal salary ordinance with raises of 4.5% for city employees. He also advocated for longevity pay for all city employees — currently there is longevity pay only for the police and five departments — but said he left that out of the proposal as he expected there would be additional discussion on that topic. (Longevity pay was a stumbling block in talks last year.)

Council president Kent McClung indicated he would vote in favor of the payroll ordinance as presented.

“Once we get into longevity and other things, you’re pushing over 5% and it could get sticky,” he said.

McClung added that he’s philosophically opposed to longevity pay for elected officials, with council members Dave Golden and Janet Powers voicing their agreement. Powers also expressed concern that longevity pay be handled in a fashion that is fair across all departments.

After a few minutes of discussion, McClung reiterated his preference to act on the 4.5% raise proposal and that any longevity pay changes be discussed and proposed at this time next year as part of the 2025 payroll ordinance. He made a motion to that effect and he and fellow council members Don Gillespie, Michele Brewster, Matt Goldsworthy, Mike Aker, Powers and Golden voted unanimously in favor.

They then voted to suspend the rules to allow a vote on second reading at the same meeting.

“This has got to be historic,” said Boggs before calling for the vote on second reading.

“This has never happened,” agreed clerk-treasurer Lori Phillips.

The payroll ordinance passed unanimously on second reading as well.

The quick approval of raises was a change in pattern for the city, which went through a four-month process in 2022 before settling on 5% raises. That decision came on a 4-3 vote at a contentious meeting that saw city employees in attendance to advocate for larger raises walk out in anger after the vote.

The 2021 process lasted two months before a 65-cent raise was approved, also on a 4-3 vote. And in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, 1.5% raises that were initially discussed in May were not approved until October.

Also Monday, council approved a tax abatement for Pioneer Warehousing’s planned $1 million project to construct an 8,100-square-foot child care facility at the north end of Wayne Street, east of Strohl Appliance and Electronics. The five-year abatement, which had been recommended for approval by the city’s tax abatement advisory committee, will save Pioneer an estimated $80,300 in taxes.

The facility is planned to be able to offer services to 48 children. The company’s goal is to break ground in June.

Council approved the abatement unanimously.

“And a hearty thank you,” said Kent McClung, noting the need for child care facilities in the city.

In other business:

•Boggs and Golden offered their condolences to the family of former Portland Police Chief Mitch Sutton, who died Thursday after a battle with cancer, and thanked him for his service to the city. Sutton had served as police chief for about 15 months before stepping away in the fall ahead of his official retirement early this year. He had also served on the city’s board of aviation.

•Council approved the following:

—Creation of a non-reverting equipment fund for Portland Water Park. Any leftover funds from the water park budget each year will go into the non-reverting fund to be used for future equipment needs.

—Removal of a section of sidewalk on the south side of Main Street in front of Ohio Valley Gas to allow for better access to its new drive-thru window.

—A 2.5% increase for fire protection services provided to Wayne, Jefferson, Pike and Greene townships. The total increase comes to $96,248.94.

—The closure of High Street from Commerce Street to the alley east of the Elks Lodge from 5 to 9 p.m. May 20 for a cornhole tournament.

•Golden asked about whether a change was needed to a partial road closure council had approved for the city’s Locals Market (formerly knowns as the farmers’ market), which is planned to begin on Saturday mornings in June on Main Street east of Meridian Street. Boggs said he had not heard back from those who had expressed concern regarding the closure.

•Powers passed on thanks from Donald Gillespie for the city’s welcome to Indiana’s Run for the Fallen, which concluded its first day Friday at Freedom Park and started again Saturday from the same location.

•Goldsworthy thanked the city’s department heads for their reports. “They really do keep us in the loop of what’s going on,” he said.

•Golden thanked residents for their engagement, citing several examples of issues in which there has been public involvement.

•McClung encouraged those in attendance to read a story about Adolfo Solis purchasing Progressive Office Products (now known as Progressive Del Toro Office Products) that was published in Saturday’s edition of The Commercial Review. He noted the love Solis expressed for the community and his commitment to investing in his adopted home. “It was a heartwarming story,” McClung said.