Lake County health department requests $110,000 administrator salary to aid recruitment

Lake County health department leaders told the County Council they want the administrator’s salary set at $110,000 to make the post competitive following the recent retirement of the prior administrator.

The request matters because the office will oversee a growing portfolio of Health First Indiana funds and officials said the department needs an experienced manager. Health Department representatives told the council that the Board of Health unanimously approved the proposed salary and that the department expects to supervise roughly $9 million in Health First Indiana funding in addition to its regular budget.

A health department representative said, "our administrator, mister Nick Duff, has retired as of yesterday," and that the department is requesting a market adjustment to attract qualified candidates. The representative told the council that the health-department job announcement so far did not list a salary and that the requested $110,000 figure comes from a statewide salary survey comparing neighboring counties. The representative said the department expects to cover at least part of any increase with vacancy savings and by transferring money within the department’s levy fund (fund 1105) rather than asking immediately for a new appropriation.

Council members asked for a written job description and for the department to consider posting the job with a pay range rather than a single fixed salary. Councilman Brown asked explicitly whether the department had a job description and whether the salary would be a single set amount; the health representative said the Board of Health approved the $110,000 figure but that the county could advertise a range and use recruitment feedback to set a final offer. Several council members recommended posting the position and seeing what market applicants require before formally adjusting county appropriations.

Officials also discussed funding sources. The health representative said routine revenues in fund 1105 (the county health levy fund) include fees for restaurant and pool inspections and birth/death certificates, and that some line items or vacancy savings might cover any shortfall. The representative said any needed transfers would be handled through the budget office and would be reported back to council.

Next steps: county staff agreed to provide the council with the job description and said they would return with any requested budget adjustments or a proposed salary range after initial recruitment feedback.

Votes or formal appropriations were not recorded on this item during the discussion.