By JESSICA BRICKER
Four elected officials have asked the Wells County Council to facilitate a professional wage study for county employees.
Recorder Carolyn Bertsch, Treasurer Kathy Peeper, Assessor Kelly Herman and Surveyor Jarrod Hahn presented the request to the council Tuesday. This follows the council’s actions last month to give deputies in the offices of the clerk and auditor raises for consolidating positions as a cost-savings measure for the county.
The study would include elected officials.
“I think conducting a wage study now would provide useful information at budget time,” Bertsch said, “and according to last month’s meeting, the funds should be available.”
Council member Todd Mahnensmith said the decision last month was based on proposed efficiencies within the offices and an incentive for making the changes. He encouraged all offices to look at “doing more with less,” he said.
Bertsch said her office and Hahn’s office are two-person offices; there are no cuts that can be made there.
“What happened last month, it caused my deputy to now be paid about $5,000 less than the other two offices. Even though it’s unintentional, and it’s great that you’re more efficient in your office and everything,” she added, “it sends a bad message to my deputy because I already lost one deputy a couple years ago because now she’s over in Adams County and she’s making basically as much as I am.”
Peeper said she has two deputies working alongside her and at times, if she would eliminate one deputy, it would be very difficult to be efficient.
In Wells County, they are fortunate to have the county employees they have, she said.
Following an inquiry by Mahnensmith, Herman said there has been discussions about sharing staff among offices but there would be logistical issues to work through. Currently, employees help out each office as they can.
Bertsch said Wells County has trained employees and then lost them to other counties with higher pay.
Council member Vicki Andrews asked specifically what kind of study was being requested, and Bertsch said not only one that studies the county’s current pay but compares those wages to other counties.
“Back in 2016, we had several roundtable discussions and I advocated for a work study — wage study — and it got shot down … At that time, I even think it was free. Or at very low cost,” council member Chuck King recalled. “But the commissioners were not approving and I think we discussed it here (at council).”
Vice President Seth Whicker said he would look into the city’s recent wage study. Auditor Lisa McCormick said it cost $20,000 and includes all of Indiana.
President Steve Huggins said a study is fair to request and they’ll look into it.
“Our other thought was, if we have the information before budget time then we can have a real conversation at budget time,” Hahn said, referencing the council’s budget workshops usually held in August.
Also on Tuesday, McCormick noted the commissioners this week approved the financing for the Ossian Fire Department’s new rescue truck.
U.S. Bank will handle the lease with an interest rate of 2.397 percent over seven years. The annual payment is about $83,170.
Chief Ben Fenstermaker said the truck should be delivered this week or next; it’s currently in Indianapolis being outfitted to the department’s specifications. Fenstermaker previously said he wanted to see the truck — a former demonstration model — in person in Ossian to make sure it fits in the truck bay. He said on Tuesday it fits with about an inch and a half to spare.
County Attorney Colin Andrews was highly complimentary of Fenstermaker’s work on finding the truck to purchase. He said the chief’s efforts saved the county about $200,000.
jessica@news-banner.com
