The Press-Dispatch
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C-14 East Gibson News Wednesday, September 12, 2018 The Press-Dispatch net edition yeah, it's that fast! Z M www.PressDispatch.net/Subscribe It's The Press-Dispatch. No matter where you live. Delivered every Wednesday morning! Add it for $5 to your current print subscription or stand-alone for $35/year. GOT SCHOOL NEWS? Email: egnews@pressdispatch.net Above: Wood Memo- rial High School sopho- more Bristynn Graman passes the ball during varsity volleyball action at Pike Central on Tues- day, Sept. 4. The La- dy Trojans lost to Pike Central in straight sets, 25-22, 25-16, 25-21. Ed Cahill photo Wood Memorial High School freshman Aubree Speicher goes up to hit the ball during varsity volleyball action at Pike Central on Tuesday, Sept. 4. The Lady Trojans lost to Pike Central in straight sets, 25-22, 25-16, 25-21. Ed Cahill photo Wood Memorial High School junior libero Bail- ee Speicher receives a serve during varsity volley- ball action at Pike Central on Tuesday, Sept. 4. The Lady Trojans lost to Pike Central in straight sets, 25-22, 25-16, 25-21. Ed Cahill photo Wood Memorial High School senior Sydney Lamar hits the ball during varsity volleyball action at Pike Central on Tuesday, Sept. 4. The Lady Trojans lost to Pike Central in straight sets, 25-22, 25-16, 25-21. Ed Cahill photo Wood Memorial High School junior setter Han- nah Thacker (14) throws the ball over the net during varsity volleyball action at Pike Central on Tuesday, Sept. 4. The Lady Trojans lost to Pike Central in straight sets, 25-22, 25-16, 25-21. Ed Cahill photo "You can't come to my department and tell me what to do," Minkler told the council. Councilman Mike Stil- well said he did not be- lieve the council could go through the process without the union being involved; the employees won't get behind it, he said. "They won't ever get ahead then," said Over- ton. Stilwell said he liked that Smith wanted to run the county more like a business, and as a per- son who had previously run a business, he knew some workers do more than others, and deserve more than others. He said he didn't think the workers would agree to the change, however, and if the elected officials did get behind the move right now, every election cycle would change the offi- cials, leaving the county to swing back and forth to the detriment of the workers. While Gibson County Surveyor Scott Martin was not at the meeting to support the creation of the committee, he did advocate to the council on cost-of-living based increases, pointing out that for anyone but the lowest-paid employees, the $750 raise would not keep up with inflation for anyone above second deputy pay. According to Over- ton, however, what em- ployees may not realize is that their health insur- ance costs are increas- ing much faster than in- flation. Councilman Bill Mc- Connell agreed, saying that every employee raise also increases employ- ees' pension payments as well. "You're not paying on your pension...that's un- heard of," McConnell said, adding for every dol- lar in payroll, the county pays $1.25 in benefits. McConnell has previous- ly pushed for employees picking up more of the tab for their benefits and pensions. "We've got taxpayers out there that don't have health insurance, or pay- ing high deductibles," McConnell said. The council did review a few requests from de- partment heads for high- er salaries. Highway Dept. Super- visor Chuck Lewis re- quested a $2,500 raise that would bring his sal- ary up to the level of EMS Director Jim Allen. He said when federal law changed the defini- tion of a salaried employ- ee, he lost $4,000 in over- time, as he was put at the federal minimum salary for an employee. Allen re- ceived a higher salary. According to Lewis, he supervises more employ- ees than the EMS Direc- tor, and he's also on call 24/7 to respond to, for ex- ample, winter storms. Riley was in favor of a raise for Lewis, but not to make as much as Al- len. Instead, the council agreed to double Lewis's raise this year, giving him $1500 instead of the $750 of the other county workers. Martin, the county surveyor, also requested a wage increase, asking for his base salary to be the same as other elected officials. The council de- nied the request because the surveyor's actual sal- ary is 1.5 times his base salary, meaning he would make more than other elected officials. "It would end up being more than other elect- ed officials who are run- ning far bigger depart- ments. I'm not saying you couldn't go private and make a lot more than that," Pflug said to Mar- tin, when saying he was not in favor of the raise. Martin has an engineer- ing degree, which would be the private sector work Pflug was suggest- ing Martin would proba- bly make more in. The coroner also re- quested a pay raise; she requested $ 33,000, say- ing she is working full- time hours. Most county coroners are also funeral direc- tors, but Coroner Misty Hoke was in the health- care field before being elected to the county post, and starting in at a wage a little more than $14,000 a year. Only three counties in the state employ coro- ners they call "full-time," however, and the others are larger than Gibson County—Vanderburgh, Marion and Brown were the counties the council believed had full-time coroners. They decided the cor- oner would receive the $750 of the other county employees, at least in this draft of the budget. The next council meet- ing will be at 9 a.m. Sept. 11 in the North Annex. WORKERS Continued from page 13 TROJAN VOLLEYBALL VS. PIKE CENTRAL Apple Hill Orchard Apple Season is Here! 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Perry ' s Perry ' s 303 Breckinridge Rd, Monroe City Email: perryshvac@gmail.com Craig Perry Vance Perry Chase Perry Left: Wood Memorial High School freshman Kaitlyn Jarboe goes up to hit the ball during varsity volleyball action at Pike Central on Tuesday, Sept. 4. The Lady Trojans lost to Pike Central in straight sets, 25-22, 25-16, 25- 21. Ed Cahill photo