County council hears wage-study findings to inform 2027 budget

At a joint session May 27, 2026, the Dubois County Council heard a presentation of a countywide Job Classifications and Compensation Study from Addie Rooker and Lori Seelen of Waggoner, Irwin, Scheele & Associates. The presentation described methodology and a set of findings councilors said will inform the 2027 budget.

Rooker and Seelen said the study used a Factor Evaluation System to place county positions into job categories and to assign evaluation points across multiple position elements. "The Factor Evaluation System was used to place the organization's positions into job categories and assign evaluation points to various elements of the positions," the presenters said. They reported that the study included an external salary analysis, a Fair Labor Standards Act review, and a Benefit Snapshot.

The presenters listed the study's focal items: classification and factor points; longevity pay options; treatment of chief deputies; annual work hours; probation; employee compensation and benefits survey comparables; skill-level pay options; tiered compensation and stipends; and a compensation analysis. Council members were told the study incorporated both position descriptions updated by the consultant team and comparisons with staffing and benefits benchmarks.

Council President Michael W. Kluesner and other council members said they will continue to review the findings in small subgroups and then provide the study results and recommendations to department heads for use in preparing the county's 2027 budget. No formal budget decisions were taken at the meeting; the study was presented for further internal review.