Employee renumeration was the main topic at Tuesday’s meeting of the Montgomery County Council. Using the findings from a compensation study the council paid to have prepared, department heads and elected officials voiced concerns.
Councilman Brett Cating, a member of the compensation committee, presented the initial committee report. He revealed, if the new compensation committee recommendations are passed, it will cost the county approximately $700,000 to increase pay based on job descriptions. This is above the 3% already included in the 2025 budget. The committee projects the county will spend $1 million in 2025 when considering pay raises and the increases the new salary program provides.
The ongoing concern of elected officials and department heads is that the pay raises do not consider longevity. Montgomery County Sheriff Ryan Needham told the council he is afraid the new salary model will be detrimental to his department.
“I am no different than anyone in this room,” Needham said. “But what my people do is different. Public safety is different, and this proposal is not level and it’s not fair. I am going to lose people.”
Needham enforced his statements by describing what his road officers dealt with late Monday night into Tuesday morning.
“Our guys had a chase last night that we had to use stop sticks,” Needham said. “The three guys bailed, and we found them after a foot pursuit. We apprehended three suspects who had a lot of dope and a lot of cash on them. One had a warrant out of Illinois, and we found out the three suspects had committed two armed robberies before they left Indianapolis earlier yesterday. You need to treat public safety different.”
As elected officials and department heads came to the microphone to address the council , the theme remained the same. Many believe the new plan does not reward their employees training or longevity.
Councilman Gary Booth expressed his concerns and about the longevity factor for present employees.
Councilman and committee member Steve Loy understands the concerns, but said the proposal is the first step in making county salaries competitive with surrounding counties.
“We know this recommendation does not solve all our problems,” Loy said. “This our first step.”
During his presentation, Cating said the committee hopes the plan will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, for new hires. He said longevity would be addressed later. However, to get any raises budgeted they need to be a part of the 2025 budget which the council is working on currently.
The council voted to approve the new compensation plan but agreed much work still needed to be done.
“This is just a beginning, and we are trying to keep within the limits we can pay,” Cating said.
No comments were received during the council’s public hearing on the 2025 county budget.
The next council meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 8.
