By HOLLY GASKILL
Hoping to avoid setting a bad precedent, the Wells County Council deferred action on raising a new employee’s salary.
IT Director Roger Richardson requested that an experienced new employee be credited for about five years of experience within the county’s pay matrix, an increase of about $1,400 annually. While the council believed this was a first for a position within the courthouse, Sheriff Scott Holliday noted that his department credits new deputies for their experience.
Ultimately, the council agreed to wait on the choice until 2026’s budget is created. Since the employee had already started working, the council didn’t feel it necessary to secure the position.
“There’s no way I can get on board if he’s already started … We need to remember, we’re not a daycare, we’re not a charity,” council member Brandon Harnish said. “If they accept the wage, they can work for it (a raise). If they want to quit, we can play a game of chicken.”
“Not sure I’d state it that way, but I’d rather not set a precedent,” council member Steve Huggins said.
Also during the meeting, the council approved a contract for additional IT services for the jail as they transition that work from the old to the new employee. The contract costs $3,300 monthly.
The council also approved a series of contract renewals with the sheriff, surveyor and Purdue Extension Office, as well as the 2025 salary ordinance. Additionally, they approved a series of additional appropriation requests and transfers.
Additional appropriations were:
• $13,000 to the Wells County Circuit Court for pauper attorney services.
• $6,600 to the jail for contracting services for IT support.
• $35,075 to the Sheriff’s Department for overtime, to be reimbursed through a grant.
Transfers were:
• Highway Department: $75,000 from gas, oil and lube to group health insurance to more employees enrolling in health insurance. $5,000 from tree removal to culvert tile/sewer pipe. Also, $40,000 from road painting and striping and $32,000 from stone/gravel to the bituminous line item for an increased use of oil.
• Community Corrections: $1,500 from office supplies, $4,000 from vehicle supplies, $500 from drug testing supplies, $1,000 from truck maintenance, and $1,000 from computer maintenance to cover a $5,000 shortfall in the indigent line item and $3,000 in monitoring fees. Also, $500 from vehicle supplies to travel/lodging.
• 911: $33,100 from lease/maintenance to dispatch/contract fees.
• Prosecutor: $720 from travel, lodging and conference fees to dues and subscriptions.
• Election Board: $400 from capital equipment and $70 from software licensing to miscellaneous supplies. In a letter to the council, Clerk Beth Davis said she overspent this line item to replace outdated iPads.
• Health Department: $15,520 from part-time medical assistant to health office. Also, $197 from vehicle fuel to vehicle.
• Commissioners: $5,601 from unemployment compensation to workers’ compensation due to a shortfall.
• Purdue Extention Office: $6.93 from secretary to part-time work.
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