By David Slone
Times-Union
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — One of the largest expenses for Kosciusko County government is its employee salaries and wages.
The county commissioners on Tuesday, June 4, unanimously approved a request by Kosciusko County Council President Mike Long and Vice President Kathy Groninger, on behalf of the council, for a $15,000 salary analysis by Reedy Financial Group P.C.
The county already is paying Reedy Financial Group $60,000 for 2024 for financial consulting, and about half that amount for six months of service in 2023.
“This salary analysis would include, but not limited to … assistance in the establishment of wages for the annual budget. This process includes various wage data from the county auditor to formulate the following: the estimated dollar amount effect that the proposed wage proposal for the ensuing year budget and projected years. This includes estimates for salary, retirement/PERF, Social Security, Medicare and two integrational wage proposal into the financial plan, and three, estimated long-term impact to the county’s operating funds,” Long said.
A presentation on the analysis was briefly given at the council and commissioners joint meeting two weeks ago.
Commissioner Cary Groninger said, “I feel like this is something that is going to give the county the tools they need to better understand when they give a raise the impact to the long-term operating funds. I think once all this information is programmed in and established, then as we move forward, it’ll be a part of” the county’s annual review system.
Commissioner Brad Jackson said he knew Long was negotiating with Reedy on the cost for the analysis and Jackson wanted to know where they landed on a price. Long said $15,000, though he pushed for $12,500. The $15,000 is a one-time fee.
“Essentially, this is a model that’s going to stay with the county for a long time. Once it’s all integrated,” Long said. “The thing I like about it as a council member is, when we talk about wages and benefits annually, we can put in a lot of different scenarios and they can spit out an answer in a quick order. So I looked at that as being beneficial to know what the bottom line is, and to know why we can do something or why we can’t.”
Jackson said Long was going to do a straw poll — not an official vote — on the analysis with the county council members. He asked how that went.
Long said the feeling is that the majority of the county council is in support of it, but it has not been brought before the council for formal consideration in a formal vote. The county council meets for their information-gathering meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday and their regular meeting at 6 p.m. June 13.
County Councilwoman Sue Ann Mitchell, who also is the Republican nominee for northern district county commissioner, also attended Tuesday’s commissioner meeting.
“I just want to be sure that what we’re getting is what we need,” she said.
Mitchell said it was critical and important that they have a list of exactly what Reedy is going to provide so the county knows what it is getting for its $15,000. She said she supported the analysis, with some caveats.
Long said it was his understanding that there would be a two-week turnaround with the analysis, so it was still possible it could be used for the planning of the 2025 budget.
Commissioner Bob Conley questioned the value of what Reedy was going to provide that the county didn’t already have.
“What’s this project going to do for us that we’re not already doing?” he said, adding that elected officials put together a budget every year.
Kathy Groninger said Reedy will put all the information in a matrix for the county’s continued and future use. Long said it will be tied into the long-term goals of the county.
Cary Groninger said, “One of our largest expenses is our labor costs. So we want to make sure we have all the information, all the tools that we can have in the toolbox to make those adjustments up or down … we’re trying to deal better with that cost and still provide our employees with a fair wage.”
Long said he’s not one to look out a year, he wants to be able to look out 10 years. He said the direction the county is heading with Reedy’s is the “correct” direction.
Kathy Groninger said the analysis is something the county will be able to use every year going forward.
Cary made a motion to approve the request, Jackson seconded it and it passed 3-0.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Approved a request from Suzie Light, Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation interim co-CEO, for KEDCO to use money from KEDCO’s special projects fund in the commissioners budget.
“I was here a month ago explaining our Q1 (quarter one) progress, and these dollars are to support the work that was done during quarter one and a portion of quarter two,” she said.
Commissioner Brad Jackson asked if the funds were for the CR 1300N project. Light said yes, as well as work that was done on entrepreneurship and work that was done in the county regarding housing.
The request total of $119,220.63 is out of the current budget line item of $250,000 for KEDCO special projects.
“We’ve got some exciting projects coming forward, especially all of the potential READI (Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initative) money that is going to be available for our northeast region, and we have applicants from our area who will be seeking those funds, as well as the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative funding. So I imagine KEDCO will be involved in those projects with those, and we’ll seek special funding for that, too,” Light said.
More information on READI can be found online.
KEDCO’s new CEO arrives June 10.
• Approved a maintenance agreement with Advance Product Group, which is New Paris Telephone, for the county’s phone system throughout every county building, as requested by County Administrator Marsha McSherry’s request. The annual contract this year is for $16,030.06, about a $1,000 increase from last year.
• Approved two change orders for the Justice Building renovation project, phase 3, adding $1,575 and $7,539, as requested by McSherry.
• Declined the bid from Office Interiors for $158,804.99 for furniture for part of the Justice Building. Previous acceptance of that bid was based on the review of the furniture and materials, but McSherry said after reviewing those the county is declining the bid. She asked the commissioners to accept the Business Furnishings bid of $209,917.46, and stated the commissioners have reviewed the furnishings and material. The commissioners accepted the bid from Business Furnishings.
• Approved an ordinance establishing a donation fund for the Kosciusko County Community Recovery Program, as requested by Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Matron Michelle Hyden.
• Appointed Rosa Ritchie to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District Board of Trustees, as recommended by Jim Haney, LRSD. She will finish out the remainder of Richard Dan’s appointment, which expires in April 2026. Dan resigned in March for personal reasons. Ritchie previously served on the LRSD Board of Directors, having been appointed by the county council in 2022, but had to resign eight months later because of employment scheduling issues, which Haney said have been resolved.
• Heard a request from Chris Nusbaum, Chapman Regional Sewer District, to include 5K Happy Landings No. 4, lots 1-19, in the sewer district. Nusbaum said the district has the capacity to serve them and are willing to provide them sewer service.
The commissioners approved the request.
