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Council approves $21.65 hourly rate for returning part‑time clerk amid salary‑ordinance confusion
Summary
Marie Shepard asked the council to approve paying a returning eight‑year county clerk $21.65 an hour; members approved the pay but spent substantial time debating multiple unsigned or conflicting salary‑ordinance drafts and whether part‑time pay is capped at $18 under existing rules.
Marie Shepard told the Jennings County Council she was asking the board to approve paying a returning eight‑year clerk at $21.65 an hour after the position was reduced to part time. "I'm here this evening to ask to pay our parttime my part‑time clerk...her position got cut. The last budget she was fulltime and the position got cut to part time and she's willing to come back and work for me," Marie Shepard said.
Council members debated whether the county's salary ordinance limits part‑time pay to $18 an hour and raised alarms about multiple, inconsistent salary‑ordinance drafts circulating among department heads. Several members said they had received different versions—some unsigned or undated—and asked the auditor and staff to distribute a single, signed ordinance so department heads know which pay schedule to follow.
The discussion focused on two issues: whether the returning clerk's experience justified pay above the standard part‑time rate and whether prior payments already issued without explicit council authority should be adjusted. Staff and members noted the county had budgeted money for the position when it was full time and that some departments have historically paid experienced part‑time employees more than a new hire.
A motion to approve the $21.65 hourly rate for the returning clerk was moved and seconded; council discussion included concerns about precedent and administrative consistency. Members agreed to work with the auditor's office to reconcile ordinance versions, ensure signed copies are distributed to department heads, and resolve any retroactive pay adjustments administratively. The council recorded the motion and proceeded to implement the authorized rate going forward.
The council also clarified that part‑time work should remain below insurance thresholds (members cited a 28‑hour/week cap to avoid offering insurance) and requested a follow‑up report on which line item would fund the pay and whether any retroactive adjustments were necessary. Staff agreed to provide signed salary ordinance copies and to investigate past payments that may not have had explicit authorization.
The council's action leaves the returning clerk on the payroll at the approved rate while staff and auditors reconcile the salary‑ordinance paperwork and any retroactive questions.
