Delaware County Council ends lower new hire pay for highway department

MUNCIE, Ind. — Delaware County Council briefly thought-about ending the coverage of paying new hires lower than common full-time employees for the primary 90 days on the job however as an alternative determined Tuesday to finish the apply solely on the freeway division in the meanwhile. 

Final week freeway Superintendent Tommie Humbert got here to the council to request the county finish the apply of paying new hires 10% much less of their probationary first three months of employment. Humbert stated he couldn’t compete with different employers providing truck driving jobs, which require a industrial driver’s license or CDL, at increased starting pay than the county might provide. The council then set a particular assembly for Tuesday.

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Council lawyer Ben Freeman ready two ordinances for council to contemplate Tuesday. One ordinance made the change for simply the freeway division, whereas the opposite would rewrite the hiring ordinance and finish the apply all collectively. 

Different division heads informed the council they face comparable hassle in hiring an individual for a sure wage after which paying them much less for a full quarter of a 12 months. The coverage doesn’t apply to public security workers, akin to sheriff’s deputies, correction officers and emergency dispatchers. These positions provide full pay from the start of employment.

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Council President Scott Alexander advised the council approve the motion for the freeway division however maintain off on making the change for all of county authorities till the council might examine what its influence could be on county funds.

Marta Moody, director of the Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Fee, informed council members she is attempting to rent a planner, which is a job that requires credentials. She will pay $36,000 to $40,000 a 12 months. In the meantime different communities are additionally hiring planners, together with Columbus, Indiana, which is providing $46,000 to $52,000 for the place. Thus far she has not gotten certified candidates.

“First, $36,000 to $40,000 is laughable,” Moody stated.

And even when she might rent somebody for $40,000, that particular person then must take a ten% lower in pay throughout their 90-day probationary interval, and that makes an enormous distinction, she added.

She additionally identified that salaries are budgeted on the common full wage and do not keep in mind the probationary wage, so there should not be any monetary influence on the county for making the change.

Alexander stated that the distinction between the total wage and the probationary wage typically gives a “cushion” for division heads, giving them cash that may be transferred to different wants.

Moody advised the council deal with the difficulty of the way it handles salaries for the county, which till lately has been to supply raises for everybody on the identical fee.

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Council member Ryan Ballard stated that as a lot as folks argue everybody should not get the identical increase, individuals who do not get it at all times come to the council members and complain that it’s unfair. He stated different folks ought to stand with council on the matter.

“No person likes it however no person desires to be overlooked,” stated council member Ryan Webb.

Moody informed the council members that the character of the choice will probably be controversial.

“With this sort of concern you’ll not make everybody comfortable,” she stated.

After approving the change for the freeway division, Alexander stated the council would possibly take up the difficulty of disposing of the decrease preliminary pay in different departments forward of price range discussions this 12 months, if different council members need to take it on.

David Penticuff is the native authorities reporter on the Star Press. Contact him at dpenticuff@gannett.com.