Bartholomew County’s proposed budget for 2020 includes 3 percent raises for all county employees and a new “employee loyalty” pilot program that would provide a yearly award for years of service.
The seven-member Bartholomew County Council has agreed on the pay increase and the pilot program, according to a budget summary from Bartholomew County Auditor Pia O’Connor.
Decisions were made quickly became the council took time to discuss proposals every evening following formal meetings, rather than wait until all presentations were over, council president Matt Miller said.
Under the new program, a full-time employee would receive $50 a year during the first week of December that would be capped at $1,000 after 20 years of service, the summary stated.
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While public safety remains the top priority in the council’s five-year-plan, another priority has been to provide something for the other county workers, Miller said.
“With all the talk about law enforcement and emergency dispatchers, everyday employees can feel they have been forgotten or left out,” Miller said. “This year, we wanted to be able to do something for them.”
County employees ineligible for loyalty pay include part-time workers, merit deputies, court services workers, probation officers and elected officials, as well as any employee being paid on a matrix-based system, O’Connor said.
Matrix expanded
The matrix-based system, which had been exclusively available to sheriff’s merit deputies, will be expanded next year to include those who work at the county jail, O’Connor stated.
Since the jail has lost 14 employees in the past eight months — and have been unable to to fill five open positions — the council felt it was important to increase their salary, Miller said. Some council members warned that having inexperienced jail staff increases the potential for lawsuits against the county from current or former inmates, Miller said.
A matrix-based pay system includes considerations such as military experience, specialized training, longevity and shift differentials. The extra money will come from a local income tax fund specifically created for jail operations under the public safety umbrella.
For now, the council has approved Bartholomew County Emergency Operations 911 Center request to hire six additional dispatchers between now and July 2020.
Council members also approved an additional detective for the sheriff’s department. The new investigator will receive one of eight new vehicles being purchased next year — one less than what was approved for this year.
Beyond public safety
It’s easy to get the impression that money raised by a 40% increase in local income taxes is being used to pay for many different expenses, Miller said.
However, the council president emphasized income tax revenue is being spent exclusively for public safety purposes including law enforcement, jail operations and the Emergency Operations 911 Center.
But with income tax revenue now being used for public safety, more traditional property-tax revenue is available from the county’s general fund for other needed items or services, Miller said.
For the first time, the Bartholomew County Parks Department will have a full-time employee. The council made a preliminary decision to fund the position of county park facilitator, according to the summary.
After long-time health department administrator Collis Mayfield retired early this summer, the council decided to replace his position with that of an inspector who will take on responsibilities previously handled by director of environmental health Link Fulp. Fulp is taking on more administrative duties with Mayfield’s departure.
Other changes that received a preliminary council approval at the conclusion of their annual budget week include:
Increasing the pay of the office managers in each of the county’s three major courts, as well as a soil and water conservation district manager, to $41,995.
Adding one new information technology technician.
Making all educators at the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service full-time. Currently, one of the three educators works on a part-time basis.
Adding a part-time employee at the Veteran Services office.
Finally, the council also agreed that the Bartholomew County Commissioners should receive $1 million for repairs and upgrades to the Bartholomew County Courthouse, the summary stated.
Proposed cuts
Early this month, county officials said they would have sufficient funds to pay for all departmental requests without having to make cuts.
But not everybody got what they wanted, the auditor said. Proposals not approved by the council include a 29% salary increase for the jail matron, as well as hiring an additional full-time nurse for the county health department, O’Connor said.
In addition, a request for a $20,000 per diem for a full-time employee in the assessor’s office was also denied, she said.
With all these new factors having a different impact on salaries and benefits of more than 400 county employees, O’Connor says a total on the 2020 budget is still being calculated.
But the bottom line is expected to be calculated and released for the council before Sept. 10, Miller said. That’s the date the council will hold a public hearing on next year’s budget before taking a preliminary first-reading vote on the spending plan.
If there are any surprise expenses or unusual circumstances, changes can be made in the spending plan before it is considered on a final vote and adoption on Oct. 8.
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Aug 30: Roundtable meeting with appointed and elected officials, 8:30 a.m.
Sept. 10: Public hearing and first reading of county budget, Visitors Information and Promotion Commission budget, and Sold Waste Management District budgets, 6 p.m.
Oct. 8: Second reading and adoption of all the three budgets, 6 p.m.
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.
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