The Tippecanoe County Council voted unanimously on Jan. 13 to amend the county’s salary ordinance by increasing the overtime multiplier from 1.5 to 1.6. The change was presented as a technical adjustment to prevent a reduction in overtime pay caused by the county’s 27-pay-period payroll schedule.

County counsel explained that the federal overtime calculation is based on a rate of pay that can be affected if an annual salary is distributed over 27 pay periods instead of 26; raising the multiplier to 1.6 mitigates that effect. The ordinance exempts hourly (part-time) positions, exempt employees who are not overtime-eligible, and elected officials (whose compensation cannot be changed in the same year of election). Staff and the auditor recommended the change be made retroactive to Jan. 1 so that a small number of employees could be made whole on the next payroll.

Councilman Murray moved to approve Ordinance 2026-02-CL; Councilwoman Vernon seconded. The ordinance passed first reading by voice vote and, after a motion to suspend the rules, passed on second and final reading by roll-call vote, 7–0. Council members expressed that the anticipated annual fiscal impact appears modest (staff estimated roughly $20,000–$40,000) and within available general-fund resources.