Redkey approves raises, budget

REDKEY –– Town employees are getting a raise next year.

Redkey Town Council approved a 1.5% increase Monday for employees starting in January. It also approved its 2022 budget on its first reading.

Council member John Pierce proposed county employees receive a raise in recognition of their work during the coronavirus pandemic.

“My only thought is, you know, these guys had to work through COVID, and they didn’t have the option of skipping out,” Pierce said.

Council has given 3% raises for the last two years, noted clerk-treasurer Mary Eley. In the budget read Monday, no raises were initially included for 2022.

Next year’s proposed budget of $610,070 increased $37,386 (about 6.5%) from the current budget. Redkey deputy clerk Pam Collett –– she served as the Hartford City clerk-treasurer from 2016 through 2020 –– explained she helped Eley through the budgeting process this year.

“I tried to keep everything as flat as possible, and that means keeping it pretty much the same,” Collett said.

She noted insurance costs are going up, prompting an extra $4,000 in the general fund. Other increases in the 2022 budget include $11,000 in the motor vehicle highway fund for contractual services, $10,000 in the economic development income tax fund for street repairs and $2,000 in the local roads and streets fund.

For several years, she said, the general fund has been “in the red” anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 before getting its next tax draw, meaning it has needed to draw from other departments. This could present an issue, Collett continued, if there were an emergency.

“Whatever cash reserves that we have, we need to tighten up a little bit in case there’s something that happens,” she said, mentioning the city hall roof needing repairs a few months ago.

Currently there is about $58,000 in the general fund. When council purchased a new police car and paid in cash, Collett explained, that purchase decreased the general fund significantly until the town’s June draw.

“So right now, as long as we don’t have any large, unexpected expenses, I’m hoping that we might be able to squeak through until we get our next draw in December,” she said.

Council member Dottie Quakenbush expressed concern with trying to take out an extra $7,000 (an estimate given by Collett) from other departments for a 3% wage increase across the board. Pierce suggested giving a smaller raise from previous years, such as a 1.5% increase (in total, it would cost between $3,500 and $3,700, Collett estimated). Council member Gary Gardner said he had no problem with that idea.

“Sometimes it ain’t about the money, it’s just, people need to know that they’re appreciated for what they do,” Gardner said.

Quakenbush disagreed, saying she thinks the town employees already do feel appreciated.

The 1.5% raise for town employees passed, 2-1, with Quakenbush dissenting. (Council members Randy May and Erik Hammers were absent from Monday’s meeting.)

Council members then unanimously approved the 2022 budget on its first reading. The budget adoption date is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 21 during council’s regular meeting.