The Crawford County Council voted on Dec. 9 to adopt a salary ordinance that applies a 4% pay increase to most county employees, excluding state‑mandated positions, and agreed to consider amendments in January.

During an extended discussion before the vote, the county prosecutor described a plan to use reimbursements and funds generated by his office to supplement staff salaries. The prosecutor said the public‑defender reimbursement program has produced "anywhere, 40 to $50,000 annually," and told the council he could use a portion of those funds "to cover the salary increases for my office manager, Britney, and for my investigator, Dan." Council members questioned whether those reimbursement and diversion/deferral funds could legally be appropriated for salary supplementation and noted that some estimated revenues are already budgeted into the county general fund.

Following debate, Council member Bill moved to table the prosecutor's specific proposal until staff could confirm statutory and accounting constraints; the motion to table passed 7–0. The council then proceeded with the broader salary ordinance. Bill moved and Mark seconded the ordinance applying 4% across most county positions; the motion passed on a recorded voice vote noted in the meeting as 7–0. Council members said the ordinance will be revisited in January to refine details and resolve funding questions raised during the prosecutor's presentation.

The meeting included several clarifying exchanges about how diversion, deferral and 4‑D/child support reimbursement funds are tracked and whether they are available for direct payroll supplementation. At one point a council member noted that some reimbursement streams are estimated conservatively into the county's revenue forecasts and therefore are not entirely discretionary. The council asked staff to verify which portions of the prosecutor's proposed supplement could be used without violating statutes or pre‑existing revenue estimates.

The ordinance vote and the tabling of the prosecutor's proposal mean the 4% raises will go into effect as the council directed, with a commitment to review and, if needed, amend the ordinance in January after staff provides further accounting and legal guidance.

What's next: The council scheduled a January follow‑up to resolve outstanding questions about fund eligibility and to consider any technical amendments to the salary ordinance.