Bartholomew County Council members will soon consider hiring 13 new county employees even though they have discouraged requests for additional staffing for several years.
Bartholomew County Auditor Pia O’Connor presented job descriptions, along with cost estimates for salary and benefits, on Monday during the council’s monthly work session.
While most requests call for additional personnel to be hired next year, the council will consider adding three new employees this summer at its June 11 meeting — a jail addiction treatment counselor and two new dispatchers for the Bartholomew County Emergency Operations 911 Center.
At this time, it appears the annual amount of $113,839 required for the counselor’s salary and benefits will come from a local income tax funds earmarked specifically for correctional facilities, O’Connor stated.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
However, O’Connor informed the council a funding request could make its way through both the Substance Abuse Advisory and Accountability Committee and the Substance Abuse Public Funding Board. If both groups provide favorable recommendations, the city and county councils will be asked to fund salary and benefits on a 50/50 basis.
Two dispatchers could be hired next month at a cost of $73,718 if the council gives its approval on June 11. Since the center is jointly funded, the city of Columbus would pay 55 percent of salaries and benefits while the county would be responsible for the remainder, 911 center director Todd Noblitt said last month.
Under a plan outlined by Noblitt, two more dispatchers will be hired and start in January 2020, and an additional two dispatchers would be hired in July 2020.
If all six positions are approved, the total amount required would be $378,000 annually, with the city paying $203,000 and the county paying $175,000, Noblitt said in early May.
Other new position requests that the council will consider for 2020, as well as salary and benefits, are:
Information technology support technician ($83,376)
County parks facility coordinator ($89,439)
Field technician for the county assessor ($72,295)
Sheriff’s detective ($105,918)
Upgrading part-time nurse at health department to full-time status ($58,192)
Residential recovery specialist for community corrections ($76,306)
If all 13 proposed positions are approved, the salaries and benefits would total $1.03 million, according to figures provided by O’Connor.
But since some positions are grant-supported or jointly funded, the auditor estimates the cost to Bartholomew County government at $661,925.
At the end of O’Connor’s presentation, council members Jorge Morales and others said the county must continue to be careful about creating new jobs.
Councilman Mark Gorbett warned against shifting surplus monies to fund a wide variety of different purposes or jobs within county government.
“That’s what got us in trouble before,” said Gorbett, referring to the county’s fiscal crisis that existed prior to the raising of local income taxes in October 2017.
Another council member, Laura DeDomenic, reminded her peers the tax was raised specifically for the purposes of public safety and addressing addiction issues.
“We have to manage funds for what we passed the tax for — not to add to other departments,” DeDomenic said. “I don’t want to see many spending increases unless it’s related to public safety.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Recommended raises” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
With budget talks for 2020 scheduled to begin late this summer, the Bartholomew County Council informally agreed this week to suggest to employees and department heads that they request a 3 percent increase for employees.
But council members emphasized this suggestion is for planning purposes only. Raises for county employees can be adjusted to a lower level until next year’s budget is approved in October.
County employees have received 3 percent raises annually for the last two years, but council members say that was done mainly to help with rising deductibles for health insurance.
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
The Bartholomew County Council are planning to consider funding a jail addiction treatment counselor and two new dispatchers at the next council meeting.
These requests could be voted on at the council’s next regular meeting, which will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Council chambers are located on the fourth floor of the Bartholomew County Governmental Office building, located at the northwest corner of Third and Franklin streets.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
