Council amends salary ordinance to raise overtime multiplier to 1.6; ordinance passes 7–0

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.