Lake County Council approves pay increase for health department administrator after public debate

The Lake County Council voted to approve a revised salary for the county health department administrator, increasing the position’s pay from $94,387 to $110,000, a $15,613 raise.

Council members debated the change during the meeting after Health Department representatives described recruitment challenges and a statewide workforce study used to justify the request.

Supporters of the increase said the higher salary aligns the county’s pay with similar counties and reflects the position’s expanded responsibilities, including oversight of a recent $1 million grant. Opponents and some council members urged caution, suggesting a salary range be advertised to widen the pool of applicants and preserve flexibility for future adjustments.

Dr. Bobby Lalla, identified in the meeting as a health department official, told the council the recommended figure is based in part on a 2022 workforce assessment by the Richard Fairbanks School of Public Medicine and on comparisons to similarly sized counties. Lalla said the county needs to offer competitive compensation to attract candidates for “a job of this much responsibility” and cited that Allen County’s administrator is paid about $120,000.

Council members pressed staff on process and advertising. One member asked whether the position had been publicly advertised and how many applicants had been interviewed; Health Department staff said the opening was posted on the county website and Indeed, human resources managed the hiring process, and three candidates were interviewed. Council members and staff confirmed no job offer had been extended at the time of the vote.

Several council members urged the use of a salary range in future postings so candidates and the council could negotiate within an advertised band rather than approve a single fixed salary mid-search. Another member emphasized that the county’s generous benefits and pension package should factor into recruitment and retention comparisons.

A roll call recorded individual votes. According to the meeting record, the final roll call was: Pam (Yes), Ron Brewer (No), Charlie Brown (Yes), Linda Moten (Yes), Bilski (Yes), Neimeyer (No), and Sid (Yes). The motion passed.

The council’s action authorizes the higher pay for the administrator position effective immediately, and staff indicated they would proceed with final hiring steps under the approved compensation.

Officials did not provide further detail on next steps for advertising or whether the salary cap will be revisited if a preferred candidate requests a different rate.