MONTGOMERY — The Daviess County Council approved the 2013 budget Wednesday but reversed Tuesday’s decision to offer a 2-percent raise and instead gave every employee but one a flat $600 increase in salary.

The change in the minds of the council came from figuring certain employees would receive less salary in 2013 than they did in 2012.

This year, all employees received a $600 bonus that did not figure in this year’s salary discussions. They will in 2013 as the $600 becomes permanent.

“When we voted (Tuesday), I had not done the math and I should have,” council member Jo Arthur said. “I think it is a lot to ask these workers to do with less, especially with some of these workers where this is their main source of income.”

Council President Mike Sprinkle led some of the discussion on raises Tuesday, and said Wednesday morning he was up early thinking about the raises. He felt the flat raise was better.

“I don’t like percent raises,” Sprinkle said. “The people at the lower end of the scale work just as hard as the people at the higher end of the scale. I like to treat everyone the same.”

The discussion then quickly turned to the bonuses, and a possible system for merit-based raises. Sprinkle suggested giving office holders a lump sum of money and distribute it among their workers as they see fit. Council member Ken Solliday said the idea has been tried in the past with little success.

 After some math, it was found that keeping the $600 would give all employees a little more take-home pay in 2013. Part-time employees will not see an increase in 2013 and mileage will still be 44 cents a mile.

“That would keep their wages stable,” Arthur said.

But there was one county employee who will get a little more than $600 in 2013 — courthouse maintenance employee Tom Underwood.

Requested two weeks ago by Prosecutor Dan Murrie and echoed by many officeholders in the courthouse, Underwood’s salary was bumped 4 percent. Murrie asked for the bonus for Underwood again Wednesday.

“I think it goes a long way towards (the council’s) profile in the courthouse,” Murrie said.

This will amount to more than the $600 flat raise, but council members agreed Underwood should be rewarded for his years of service.

“I think he needs a little more,” council member Jack Graber said.

One employee that was facing a salary cut Wednesday was Daviess County Landfill Director Lee Spaulding. Daviess County Solid Waste, the agency over the landfill that answers to the council, was asking for a 6-percent raise for all employees, including Spaulding.

There was discussion about Spaulding’s work habits, brought up by Graber. He felt Spaulding should make the same amount of salary as county highway director Phil Cornelius, about $54,000. Spaulding makes close to $61,000.

“Lee Spaulding does not need any more money than Phil Cornelius because Phil works twice as hard,” Graber said.

After hearing the figures, Graber said the cut may be too big. Council members also discussed Spaulding’s longevity at the landfill.

By a 4-3 vote, the council voted to give solid waste employees, including Spaulding, the $600 raise instead of 6 percent. Graber, Sprinkle and Solliday dissented.

Non-binding budgets

Most of Wednesday’s meeting centered around budgets from taxing entities within the county, like the city of Washington, towns, townships and local schools.

Due to government reform at the state level, councils have been required to give non-binding reviews of all the budgets in the county. The council recommended all the budgets grow within the state’s growth quotient of 2.8 percent.

And most did. But there were exceptions. The largest was from Washington Township Trustee Albert “Pete” Showalter. He asked for a very large increase in township assistance, around $120,000, an increase of 88 percent.

“We have no way of knowing for sure, it’s changing all the time,” Showalter said. “I have spent $60,000 on utilities so far this year.”

But much of his budget does go to salaries for staff, according to the auditor’s office. One expense that will not be added for 2013 will be a contract with Carnegie Public Library, which means residents who live in Washington Township but do not live in the city of Washington will have to pay for a library card again in 2013.

Since there was nothing the council could do, they recommended the township’s budget be within the state’s growth quotient.

Although many townships, the city of Washington, town of Plainville, Carnegie and Winklepleck libraries and North Daviess Schools attended what is supposed to be mandatory hearings, several entities did not.

They all were reviewed and recommended to stay within growth figures. There was visible frustration by many council members during the hearings and said next year, they plan to invite local state legislators to show them the futility of the exercise.

Regular meeting

Even after budget meetings, a regular meeting was held for several additional appropriations, including $500,000 to start a fund for purchasing property along CR 900E for the Cannelburg Road project. The money will be reimbursed by state and federal grants.

The council also amended this year’s salary ordinance for the two new co-jail administrators at the Daviess County Security Center. The current jail commander, Pat Dant, plans to retire at the end of the month.