Daviess County employees will receive a 2.5% raise in their 2019 paychecks. That is if county officials follow the suggested guidelines adopted by the County Council at Wednesday’s meeting.
The Council’s Budget Committee, made up of Council members, Kent Norris, Pat Dant, and JoAnn McCracken, met with office holders, staff members, and state officials. Norris said the committee looked at the inflation rate and maintaining a competitive wage schedule, while keeping in mind the County’s ability to pay the raises without raising the tax rate, the cost of the new Annex project, and allowing a cushion for unforeseen expenses.
Council President Mike Myers commented that a competitive wage scale is important and noted the County is having trouble filling empty jobs. County Highway Superintendent Phil Cornelius told the Council that the Highway Department is losing younger workers to higher paying construction jobs.
The Committee originally proposed a 3% hike in wages, but other Council members expressed concern about having cash in hand in the event of unexpected costs in the Annex Project. Councilman Mike Sprinkle suggested the 2.5 % guideline, which was seconded by Councilman Dave Smith and passed unanimously by the Council.