Council changes pay rates for some positions

Some county positions will see changes reflected in their paychecks in the near future.

Jay County Council on Wednesday approved pay changes for Jay County Public Defender’s Office and a pay increase for Jay County Highway Department’s assistant superintendent. It also OK’d shifting Jay County Country Living’s director role from a part-time to full-time position.

It also agreed to a $178,500 contract with Ritter Strategic Services for the second phase in a plan to convert the county’s emergency responder radios to the Integrated Public Safety Commission’s radio system and heard a request to extend a prospective solar farm’s completion date by two years.

Jay County Country Living’s advisory board recommended the county make its director position a full-time job, bumping the salary from approximately $32,000 to $55,000. The changes involve combining the financial coordinator’s duties with the director role.

Currently, Melissa Blankley is serving as interim director. She served as director of the department for about a year before leaving at the end of 2023. Kristie Delaney took over the role from Blankley. Delaney was removed from the position in June.

Questions ensued Wednesday about the facility’s future and the advisory board’s efforts toward its supervision. Council member and advisory board president Cindy Bracy confirmed the county will need to hire a person for the full-time position.

Council agreed to the pay increase, with council member Harold Towell dissenting, effective once the position is filled.

Jay County Public Defender’s Office request comes as a result of its plans to reduce the amount of public defenders positions to four. 

Former Jay County public defender Aaron Henderson stepped down from the job July 1, having accepted the role of chief public defender in Blackford County. Henderson is finishing his last cases in Jay County courts but is not taking any more cases.

Jay County chief public defender Brandon Murphy explained Wednesday after reviewing the department’s caseload, his board decided to leave the position vacant for now and instead increase the caseloads of the other employees. Because of the higher caseloads, Murphy explained, he would like to split the vacant position’s pay among the other public defenders.

His request involved bumping two public defenders to $85,000 salaries each for the remainder of the year. Murphy does not plan to ask for $85,000 for those positions in the 2025 budget. Council approved the request.

Also, council, with Towell dissenting, agreed to bump the assistant highway superintendent’s pay to $58,000, retroactive to Sunday. Council president Matt Minnich explained the role is currently paid less than the road foreman. The position was created in July to compensate the department’s administrative assistant Stephanie Klarer for the new job duties she has taken on for the department in recent months.

Also, per revisions to Indiana Code, council agreed to allocate $2,500 stipends to the Jay County clerk on even years and Jay County auditor each year. The stipends, which are included in both departments’ budgets, are intended to make up for the additional time clerks spend planning and hosting elections and the additional duties auditors have taken on over the years.

Council also heard a recommendation from Jay County Personnel Committee — it met at 9 a.m. Wednesday — to incorporate at least 2% raises or more for employees.

Also Wednesday, council agreed to commit $178,500 in American Rescue Plan Act dollars toward a contract with Ritter Strategic Services for planning, procurement, engineering, project management and other work related to switching the county to the Integrated Public Safety Commission’s 800 megahertz statewide system. Jay County Commissioners approved the contract July 29. 

Also, council heard a request from Scout Clean Energy for a two-year extension in relation to completing its Sun Chief Solar project in Jay County. Its request stipulates construction would begin no later than Dec. 31, 2026, with the project completed by no later than Dec. 31, 2027. Plans are to bring the request to a vote at council’s September meeting.

In other business, council members Randy May, Dave Haines, Jeanne Houchins, Faron Parr, Bracy, Towell and Minnich:

•Heard from Jay County Fair Board president Aaron Loy, who shared the board’s 2024 budget and letters of support from local organizations. Loy explained the fair board submitted a $26,000 request for economic development income tax (EDIT) dollars with Jay County Commissioners to cover insurance — if it had received the funding, he said, the board would have used the funding previously allocated for insurance instead to pay for infrastructure projects. Loy noted those projects include replacing and repairing water lines, upgrading electrical connections, addressing drainage and wall issues with the women’s building and making safety enhancements for the demolition derby track.

•OK’d switching pension companies from Comerica to Baird Trust effective Jan. 1. In order to receive a pension with the new plan at Jay County Sheriff’s Office, employees must serve at least 20 years with the department.

•Made the following additional appropriations: $75,000 for medical and hospital fees for Jay County Jail inmates; $24,576.29 for an excavator purchased last year for Jay County Surveyor’s Office; $12,849.98 in grant funding for first responder training and $9,800 in grant funding for a pediatric training kit for emergency responders; $1,560 for professional services at Jay County Recorder’s Office; $1,460 in reimbursement funds for pauper counsel; $1,100.03 for services provided by Runell, Ernstberger and Associations — Towell and Bracy dissenting —  in its planning for the development of the county’s 68 acres on the west side of Portland.

•Made several transfers, including $50,000 from various Jay County Jail funds to go toward other compensation and $25,757.42 in Jay County Public Defender’s budget from the assistant public defender’s wages to other funds.