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Thursday, August 18, 2005
Ind. Courts - Montgomery County judges issue mandate for staff raises
The Lafayette Journal&Courier has a story today reporting:
CRAWFORDSVILLE -- The three Montgomery County judges have issued a mandate requiring the county council to appropriate funds to immediately increase pay for court employees by 31-48 percent.Judges Thomas Milligan, David Ault and Peggy Lohorn issued the mandate late Tuesday, citing consistent problems retaining court reporters and administrative help.
But the president of the Montgomery County Council said there's no way the county can give court employees raises without taking money away from other county employees or cutting staff elsewhere.
"I am totally put out with the judges, knowing that we don't have any money in the general fund right now," council president Harold Barclay said Wednesday. "We're going to have to cut somebody to get the money that they are asking for. Are they saying that their employees are better than the other county employees?" * * *
But according to the judges' mandate, the salary situation in the courts has reached a crisis level. The mandate states that a current Circuit Court employee has notified the judge she will be leaving the court and her $21,069-a-year job to take a position at a Crawfordsville law firm that pays about $10,000 a year more.
That person "would be the fourth employee to leave that court in less than two years," according to the mandate. The mandate requires that the annual salary increase to $31,200 from $23,638 for court reporters; to $31,200 from $21,068 for court administrators; and to $27,200 from $19,142 for secretary/bailiffs.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 18, 2005 11:34 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts