Budget committee adopts salary plan changes: elected officials moved to midpoint; council granted 3% and per-diem option
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Summary
Vigo County’s budget committee moved elected officials to the study midpoint and approved a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for council members plus a $150 per-meeting per diem for committee appointees; the committee also discussed grade changes and coroner classification and asked HR for final grade calculations.
The Vigo County budget committee voted to implement salary changes tied to the county’s compensation study and to provide a modest increase for councilors.
Committee members reviewed letters and salary scenarios from HR and discussed implementing the Baker Tilly market study chart that sets pay midpoints by grade. After debate about fairness across offices, pay grades and public perception, members voted to move elected officials to the midpoint (grades to remain as previously assigned) and approved a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment for council members. The motion also included an option for a $150 per-meeting per diem for council members who accept additional budget‑committee appointments.
The committee discussed specific grade changes — including whether to move many elected positions from grade 5-16 to 5-17, and whether commissioners should remain at grade 5-18 — and asked HR to confirm how grade changes would affect midpoint salary figures. County attorney and HR staff explained that moving a position’s grade changes the midpoint figure tied to that grade and that the salary ordinance may need amendment if the committee adjusts more than the originally contemplated 3 percent.
Members debated the coroner’s classification at length. The coroner described heavy, on-call duties and argued the office functions like a full-time job; some committee members said elected officials already receive benefits and that “full time” is effectively represented by compensation levels rather than appointment labels. The committee left many grade-change decisions to HR and approved the motion to move elected officials to midpoint and the council adjustments for the coming year.
Committee members repeatedly emphasized transparency to the public and the need to balance market pay with fiscal constraints. HR will return final grade charts and exact dollar amounts for the salary ordinance before the county finalizes compensation in the ordinance.