County Council moving forward with wage study results

With most Putnam County government employees having received a five-percent raise for 2024, the Putnam County Council is forging ahead with the weightier task of a department-by-department analysis of wages in the county.

With the results of a contracted wage study in hand on Tuesday, the council has set a series of three upcoming meetings in which the salaries in each department are discussed in greater depth.

The idea is to bring all county salaries in line with the suggestions of the study. In most cases, this will mean further wage increases.

The meetings will be set for Jan. 24 and 25 at 9 a.m. and Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. in the commissioners meeting room on the first floor of the Putnam County Courthouse.

Originally undertaken in early 2023, the wage study analyzed the job duties of various county employees and compared them to similar jobs in the region and state with suggestions for the appropriate salary range for the given job.

While in many cases, employees were deemed underpaid, some were above or at the high end of the suggested range. A number of these cases were reviewed last month, with the decision made not to grant the five percent raise, nor to grant future raises until they come within the suggested range.

County officials have no plans of reducing any salaries based on the study.

Even with county officials concerned about funding for a number of upcoming projects such as bridges, roads and a new courthouse annex, the compensation issue became a prime concern for the council and commissioners over the last couple of years.

These officials are looking for ways to pay employees, even with other financial concerns.

“There are some that these department budgets are going to be tight and they’re not going to be able to spend any other money if we do this,” Council President Stephanie Campbell said of the increases. “So we’re going to have to think outside the box for this.”

She suggested that her fellow council members study the suggestions as well as current budgets and come to the meetings with ideas.

While the upcoming meetings are open to the public and the salaries of employees are public record, the Banner Graphic does not intend to report on the salaries of individual employees as part of this process. Future reporting will focus on the overall financial impact to county government.

In other business, the council:

• Approved an additional appropriation of $182,833 for road maintenance from the hazardous waste fund.

This amount is 10 percent of the fund, which comes from tipping fees at the Heritage Environmental hazardous waste landfill in Russell Township. This is the maximum amount of the fund allowed annually to be used for roads.

• Approved an additional appropriation of $10,152 for extra security measures at the Putnam County Health Department in the office building of Putnam County Hospital.

Following veiled threats from members of the public, the new measures include an alternate exit to the office, located in the Putnam County Hospital office building, and a badge-controlled entrance to the employee office area.

• Approved the purchase of a 2015 Ford E-350 van for the Weights and Measures Department for $8,500.

With the recent retirement of David Wilborn from the weights and measures position, the commissioners on Tuesday morning hired Brandon White to the position.

However, Wilborn owned the trailer on which all of the equipment had been hauled, so a new vehicle was needed.

• Reappointed Campbell as president and Jay Alcorn as vice president.

Campbell and Alcorn were joined at the meeting by fellow members Danny Wallace, Keith Berry, Larry Parker, Wayne Huffman and Phil Gick.

The next regular meeting of the Putnam County Council is set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20.