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A fair share of the wage committee recommendations presented to the Kosciusko County Council at their meeting Thursday were related to requests from the Sheriff’s Office for 2027.
No votes were taken on the recommendations, and the council’s budget hearings for 2027 are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 17-18. The wage committee includes Council Vice President Kathy Groninger, Councilman Joe Irwin and County Commissioner Sue Ann Mitchell.
Irwin told the council one of the sheriff’s requests was for two full-time jailers for the night shift.
“Nights are already short, plus you don’t have the extra administrative personnel that the day shift has to help,” he said. “The night shift is getting burnt out, they’re currently running with five because one is on military leave.”
The committee’s recommendation was to allow two new jailers for the night shift in 2027.
“I do know ... that in 2024, (Sheriff Jim Smith) had asked for four and received two, with the understanding that you would come back and ask for the other two,” Irwin said.
Smith replied, “The intentions were to come back that following year, although we put a lot of our priority into the COLA (Cost Of Living Adjustment) discussion last year. We knew that was a big request. After talking with the jail staff, they all agreed they could go through another year with where they’re at, with the change of policies and the way they’re running things.”
He said it’s all becoming taxing on the staff, and with one jailer on military leave, that doesn’t help.
The request for two new jailers in 2027 is an attempt to make good on the request from two years ago, Smith indicated.
Speaking on the next request from the sheriff’s office, Groninger said Smith requested a night shift differential of $2,725.
“If we allow $1 per hour, that’s $2,088 per year. Times that by 38 employees who work nights and that would cost us $79,344,” she said.
The wage committee’s recommendation was “not at this time.” Groninger said they “seriously” did consider it, but with everything going on with Senate Bill 1 (SB1) and the uncertainty with the budget, “we didn’t want to short other employees with regard to raises, so we recommended not at this time.”
Irwin said, “We did feel that there were other things we needed to address in the sheriff’s department.”
The Sheriff’s Office also requested the wage for the warrant/civil specialist be changed to a classification of COMOT 3 under the county’s job classification system. Groninger said the job description was updated and sent to Waggoner, Irwin, Scheele & Associates (WIS) to be refactored and check the classification with the changes that were made. WIS recommended the position remain classified at COMOT 4. She said the question was asked if this would be an in-house transfer, and it is believed they will be hiring out for the position. The wage committee recommendation was for the position to remain at COMOT 4.
For the county assessor’s office, Irwin said Assessor Gail Chapman has a full-time position that has not been filled and she’d like to make it part-time and this is where she would go in 2027. The work was dispersed to the rest of the office. By changing this position, it will allow the work to be redistributed back to the part-time person while allowing Chapman to be available to the next county assessor as needed. He said Chapman’s intent is to stay for one year, but she could work longer if wanted or needed. The wage classification is currently COMOT 2 and should remain the same.
Irwin said the committee’s recommendation was to change the full-time position to part-time.
The Kosciusko County Highway Department (KCHD) is requesting a truck driver and housekeeper. The original request from the KCHD was for a maintenance/buildings and grounds person.
“Upon further discussion with (Superintendent) Steve (Moriarty) and what the original request would be paid, he believes it would be better to create a truck driver position instead. The truck drivers can continue to maintain the facility,” Groninger said.
She said there is enough work to have a dedicated housekeeper at the KCHD part-time. The wage committee recommendation was for one full-time truck driver and one part-time housekeeper.
The Reentry Court coordinator is funded by grant money. Irwin said Reentry is paid from the probation schedule, but is not a probation officer. The position is similar to Community Corrections Drug Court, which is a “Civilian Pole” in the county’s job and wage classification system. Community Corrections Drug Court makes $60,615, and Reentry Court makes $58,473.
The wage committee recommendation was to move the Reentry Court position to Civilian Pole 6, same as Community Corrections Drug Court.
The county paid for a wage study to be completed in 2025. The county received it after the budget was completed, so the county decided to not do anything for 2026, Groninger said.
“But there were some things that we have currently already made adjustments for last year for this year because it was in the budget requested for this year. So we went ahead and looked at implementing the things that were implemented this year into next year’s budget,” she explained.
The reason for the wage studies is so the county doesn’t get behind like in years past, she said. WIS found some that were classified incorrectly, and the county adjusted some last year at the request of the departments.
The corrections the council needs to make are job/wage classification increases for a sign technician, road foreman, Title IV-D operational supervisor and human resources director. The wage committee recommendation was to change the classifications for 2027.
“We also looked at the Merit chart. Our deputies are currently making $63,267 and WIS recommended their 2026 wage to be $65,959.92. The sheriff was asking for a $5,000 increase to the deputy’s wages in 2027,” Groninger said, adding the wage committee recommendation was “$5,000 for Merit deputies but no countywide raise. So whatever we decide to do with the percentage for the Cost Of Living Increase (COLI) for the rest of the county would not be included in the Merit officers. They would get a $5,000 raise, which is our recommendation.”
Irwin said they also looked at surrounding counties, cities and other factors.
Councilman Dave Wolkins asked, overall on the wage study, is the county comparable with communities of similar size. Irwin said yes, other than the four positions that needed corrected, and that’s “other than the Merit that we’re talking about.”
Councilman Will Stockdale asked if the $63,267 was an entry-level wage for deputies and then they get annual or years-of-service adjustments or what. Smith said that was the entry-level wage, and then for every year a deputy is with the department, an increase comes with it.
Council President Tony Ciriello said it was an attempt to get the Merit officers in line with other law enforcement departments so the county doesn’t spend “all this money” on training and everything on an officer, only for the officer to go to a different department for more money.
Irwin, citing information provided by Chief Deputy Chris McKeand, said the cost to the sheriff’s office to replace one deputy was $54,000. “So if we train them, they leave, we’re out that money. And then the next guy we bring in and have to train, you’re doing that all over again. And last year, Jim, according to your numbers, the cost of replacing deputies last year was $272,000. So what we’re trying to get them to do is stay here,” Irwin said.
Councilwoman Kimberly Cates said it’s been an ongoing problem that the county has had for several years now.
“It is, Kim, and what you have now in the law enforcement profession is departments competing. Unfortunately, I hate to say it, but that’s what’s happening,” Smith said, and the loyalty to a department that used to be there isn’t now.
“Never has it been my goal to put us so far and above everyone that it’s just unreasonable. But at the same time, we’re trying to stay competitive,” he stated.
Smith said officers talk to each other and with officers at other law enforcement agencies.
“But these are things that I felt were appropriate requests for the time, certainly, again, not asking to be above and beyond, but be relevant in the conversation,” he said.
Stockdale asked Smith if he could speak to the circumstances that caused the four or five deputies to leave in the past year. Smith said one left the profession altogether, a couple left for other departments but he couldn’t speak for everyone’s situation.
“Night shift premium, I understand it’s a no for now. You’ll probably see me next year talking about it again because it’s going to be just as important then. Why? Because other departments are still doing it and they’re paying attention to them. Our third-shift works the same night shift as other agencies and they get talking about what each other have. Whether we like it or not, that’s just what’s happening. And that’s not just here locally, it’s happening across the state as well. Certainly, again, trying to stay as relevant as we can,” Smith said.
Cates said the wage committee recommendations weren’t definitive “no’s,” just suggestions.
The KCSO has 44 sworn deputies. Dispatchers and jailers are civilian employees and do not fall under the Merit system.
The last recommendation Groninger presented was the cost of living increase of 2 or 3% for every county employee, not including the Merit officers who would get the $5,000 increase.
