The Kosciusko County Council on Sept. 12 approved a wage package for the county surveyor that separates base salary from statutory section‑corner payments and establishes pay for a chief deputy.

A wage-committee representative reviewed Indiana statutes and comparative county data before recommending a 2025 base starting compensation for an unlicensed (unregistered) surveyor at $56,008.56, plus a 3% general wage increase that raises the recommended base to $61,003.94. The committee also recommended statutory section‑corner pay: 2,483 certified section corners at $2 each, totaling $4,966.40. That corner payment, the committee said, is mandated separately under Indiana code and is treated like a stipend rather than part of the base salary.

The council first voted to approve the surveyor base wage (motion to approve the wage without corner sections; mover: Joanie; second: Kathy). The wage vote passed by voice vote. Council then took a separate vote to approve the 2,483 section corners at $2 apiece, saying the section‑corner payment is required by state statute; that motion also passed by voice vote.

The council discussed statutory limitations on adjusting an elected official's pay midterm. A council member read Indiana Code 36-2-12-11 and 36-2-12-15 at the meeting and council legal counsel and the county attorney were consulted during the wage committee's work. The committee reported it had reviewed Indiana code and county comparisons (Shelby, Steuben, DeKalb, Fulton) and sought outside compensation consultants for review.

The council also approved a recommendation to set the chief‑deputy surveyor at 80% of the unlicensed surveyor base, calculated at $46,865.82 for the 2025 salary ordinance, and approved the wage-committee recommendation by voice vote. During discussion some members and office staff raised concern that the proposed chief‑deputy rate could make that position the lowest paid in the office depending on incumbent pay steps.

Surveyor office staff and wage‑committee members discussed the mechanics of paying the statutory corner and certified-mileage items separately and noted commissioners may act on ditch miles or additional stipends outside tonight's council action.

Quotes from participants were limited to committee and office participants during the discussion; council members repeatedly emphasized the committee had consulted the county attorney and external firms to conform to state law.