By HOLLY GASKILL
In their last meeting of the year on Monday, the Wells County Council approved a $23,000 salary increase for the 2025 director of the emergency management agency.
The commissioner-appointed position, currently compensated at roughly $42,000, was approved for up to $65,000. Half the salary is paid through federal funding, meaning the county’s increase will be approximately $11,500.
Commissioner Jeff Stringer, who was present to discuss the change, advised that the position has not maintained a competitive salary compared to neighboring and similar counties. Stringer also presented a new job description, not yet approved by the board of commissioners, which he feels will bolster the leadership and work of the department.
“I have been talking to a few other counties that surround us, and there’s a big gap between where we’re at and where Adams, Huntington (counties), and especially Allen County, and even Jay County has some advantages to where they’re at, as far as being ready for a disaster,” Stringer said.
With this, Stringer advised he’d like to see the role more involved in grant writing, like the county’s efforts to obtain a $1 million grant to buy encrypted radios for the 911 dispatch center. He likened the position to the county engineer, which has secured millions in funding for county projects.
Stringer said the county has received five applicants for the position, including current director Rick Velasquez, and the commissioners hope to approve the job description and make an appointment at their first meeting of the year, 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 6. He did add, however, that none of the applicants have grant writing experience.
Though Stringer said he did not want to discuss Velasquez’s performance, he did remark that he didn’t feel that “the one that we have,” referring to the current job description, “I’m not sure … all the things have been completed on it.” Stringer repeatedly stipulated that the commissioners had not yet determined if it will be a new appointee to the position.
Springer added, “I called around to the different counties, and the support level in every county surrounding us, regardless of the wage, is different than what we have. So we’ve got to either educate the person that’s in there (about) what needs to happen or, again, we’ve got options.”
The council recognized that it has historically been difficult to get applicants and that the compensation was likely a contributing factor. They voted unanimously in favor of the increase, taking effect at the commissioner’s appointment; council members Seth Whicker, Scott Elzey, Brandon Harnish, Vicki Andrews and Steve Huggins were present, and Brian Lambert and Todd Mahnensmith were absent.
Also during the meeting, the council unanimously agreed that Elzey would serve as an alternate for Andrews on the Area Plan Commission board.
The primary purpose of the last 2024 meeting was to approve year-end transfers. They were:
• Sheriff’s Office: $2,000 from gas, oil and lube, $2,000 from K-9 supplies, $2,000 from Air Cards and $3,700 from service contract ERS to $45 for office supplies, $260 for uniforms, $795 for IT equipment, $5,770 for service contract, $2,830 to equipment repairs.
• Jail: $8,157 from meals to $1,500 for supplies, $1,857 for maintenance supplies and $4,800 for general repairs.
• Coroner’s Office: $3,024 from autopsy services to $2,033 for office supplies and $991 for repairs and maintenance.
• Circuit Court: $60 from truck maintenance to secretary.
• IT Department: $495 from training seminars and $495 from consulting fees to $990 for IT assistant.
• Reassessment: $23 from training and seminars to computer equipment.
• Probation: $475 from training and seminars to retirement.
• Purdue Extension: $223.40 from computer supplies to office supplies.
• Election Board: $70 from rent primary to LES software license fee.
• Circuit Court: $40 from guardian ad litem to postage.
• Community Corrections: $1,200 from part-time field officer 3 to $750 for social security and $450 for group health insurance, $700 from service contract to monitoring fees, and $10 from service contracts to telephone.
• Health Department: $560 from part-time medical assistant to board compensation.
The council will meet for the first time in 2025 at 7 p.m. on Jan. 7.
holly@news-banner.com
