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Soldier Township approves SCBA system purchase, 5% salary increases and $200 safety bonuses
Summary
The board voted unanimously Dec. 9 to buy an SCBA fill system (not to exceed $93,000) to avoid a projected 20% price increase after Jan. 1, 2026, and also approved 5% raises for eligible salaried staff and a $200 bonus for qualifying full-time employees.
The Soldier Township Board voted 3-0 on Dec. 9 to purchase an SCBA fill system for the township's new fire station, authorizing up to $93,000 from the Capital Improvement Plan fund to finalize a Conrad Fire Equipment quote of $92,737 before an anticipated 20% tariff-driven price increase on Jan. 1, 2026.
Member Mike Mathes moved to approve immediate purchase of the system; Member Jerry Glasgow seconded and the motion carried 3-0. Meeting minutes state that buying before 2026 would save the township $18,547.44 compared with the projected post-tariff price.
In the same meeting the board approved personnel actions for 2026. Members approved a uniform 5% salary increase for eligible salaried employees, including the administrator, administrative assistant, road superintendent and fire chief. The board also approved a $200 bonus for full-time employees who did not file a workers'compensation claim in 2025; Member Mathes moved the motion and Member Glasgow seconded. The motion carried 3-0.
The meeting record shows that the noxious weed contract from the Shawnee County Weed Department was added to the agenda at the administrator's request and approved by the board 3-0. The minutes do not specify contract dollar amounts.
The board recorded formal votes for each motion in the minutes but did not provide a line-by-line budget amendment in the meeting packet. The SCBA purchase is funded from the CIP fund, per the minutes; the minutes do not specify how the raises or bonuses will be amortized across departmental budgets.
The board adjourned at 12:59 p.m. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026, at 12:15 p.m.
