FORTVILLE/MCCORDSVILLE — For the upcoming year, Fortville and McCordsville have recently made or started the process of making changes to salaries.
At the McCordsville town council meeting on Nov. 14, an amendment was made to their salary ordinance that would reflect a cost-of-living adjustment.
Town manager Tim Gropp said at the meeting that over the last eight years there had been bonuses based on employee performances, but they stopped doing that last year due to a few reasons, one being it was a difficult system. Gropp said that they have relayed that change moving forward, and they will no longer have a program like that.
“We feel we’ve made enough amendments to the handbook, the benefits, and what we’re proposing for raises next year that it will more than make up for this program,” Gropp said at the meeting.
Group said that this is the last year they will be recommending the bonuses and instead will be making a cost-of-living adjustment, where Gropp said that would be a one-time payment — $1,200 for full-time employees and $600 for part-time employees. Gropp said anyone hired in 2023 would prorate based on what amount applied.
Town council president Greg Brewer said at the meeting that this was brought to the finance committee and then recommended by the HR consultant that it was a policy they needed to eliminate.
It was motioned and passed to suspend the rules to also vote on the same night the amendment to the ordinance was introduced. The motion passed and the amendment to the ordinance passed, 5-0.
In Fortville, the town council introduced their salary ordinance at the Nov. 20 meeting for its first reading. Town manager Joe Renner said that it has remained the same as it was approved on the budget.
For the 2023 salary ordinance, it included a $5,000 add-on for the clerk-treasurer and the rest of the hourly workers had a 3% add to their base pay.
Renner said that with the street and distribution employees, they used to have just one certified operator but now had three additional people going through classes to get the certification. Those changes would include that in the base pay and then add additional fees back in the benefits pay.
Police investigator pay will also increase by approximately $500 for the year, as approved in the budget. A planning and building administrative assistant was also approved in the budget at $1,850 bi-weekly.
Renner said at the meeting he wanted the council to consider moving the pay for the deputy clerk and planning and building administration to match the pay as the part-time civilian for $20.60 per hour.
“I think they are all kind of doing the same work so it seems like they should all be in line with the $20.60 per hour,” said Renner at the meeting.
Town council member Fred Fentz commented on the pay for someone to help cut grass during season and it was discussed that they haven’t had to hire temporary summer help lately and wouldn’t think the extra help would be needed unless the town picks up extra acreage.
Renner also pointed out that the ordinance had some redundancy and said summer employees would be paid $10 an hour while other part-time and temporary help is $15.45 an hour.
It was agreed to match move up the summer employees pay and then move the pay up for deputy clerk and planning and planning administration.
A motion to approve the salary ordinance with the changes discussed at the meeting passed, 5-0. Changes are to be added in and then presented at the next town council meeting for the second reading.
