La Porte County employee raises classification and pay complaint; council schedules executive-session handling

Kelly Wozniak, a 12-year La Porte County employee who said she began as first deputy in the treasurer's office on March 27, told the council she was hired under a job description classified as a "Commat 6" but later learned a salary ordinance in effect appeared to limit pay to a lower Commat 5 level. "As I stated in my formal complaint, I am requesting that my compensation be adjusted to the Comot level I was hired immediately and that I receive retroactive pay for both regular hours and overtime hours worked," Wozniak said during public comment, noting she filed a formal complaint on July 16 and was advised by HR to bring the matter before the council.

Council members and the county attorney discussed whether Wozniak's concerns are appropriately handled in open session. The council attorney advised that the matter is an employment/personnel issue and should be addressed in executive session if it concerns individual salary/classification actions. One council member questioned whether executive session rules permit discussion of salary matters; the attorney and other members framed the issue as a personnel-classification matter that requires executive-session consideration before any substantive action.

Treasurer Dan Berning and others urged quick follow-up. The president said he would coordinate with council leadership and county commissioners to schedule an executive session and expects notice within a week. No formal personnel decision was made at the July 28 meeting; council members directed staff to schedule the closed-session follow-up so the complaint and possible remedies can be discussed in the appropriate forum.