County approves 3% raise, wage-study corrections and $5,000 merit boost for deputies
Summary
Kosciusko County council voted to give county employees a 3% pay increase for 2027, apply wage-study classification corrections and approve a $5,000 merit raise for 44 deputies; probation pay issues were left for further review.
Kosciusko County council voted to approve a 3% across-the-board increase for county employees for 2027, along with implementation of classification changes recommended in a 2025 wage study and a $5,000 ongoing merit increase for 44 merit deputies. The council adopted the wage-committee framework after department heads had trimmed nonessential spending earlier in the hearings.
The council’s wage committee presented the case that modest, consistent increases were necessary to keep county pay competitive while preserving budget stability. The committee recommended a 2–3% cost-of-living adjustment; after discussion the council chose a 3% raise and agreed to apply the wage-study reclassifications that the committee and HR consultant recommended. Council members also approved a $5,000 permanent merit adjustment for merit deputies. As the wage committee noted, several specific job reclassifications (e.g., sign technician LTC3→LTC2, road foreman LTC3→LTC2) will be implemented in 2027 to correct past mis-classifications.
Councilors left some items for follow-up: probation staff compensation and any supplemental stipends will be finalized in September after additional analysis of user-fee funding; several temporary or stipend-style solutions remain under consideration. The council instructed administration to prepare ordinance language for the first reading at the next meeting and to detail how the county will apply the state-mandated minimums vs. locally funded increases.
Speakers Kathy (Chair), Wage committee representatives, County HR staff
Provenance Topic intro: SEG 047 Topic finish: SEG 7770
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