The meeting began with the approval of the August 18 meeting minutes and the Budget Hearing meeting minutes.
The council approved additional appropriations and transfers for the Health Department and Solid Waste.
The meeting focused primarily on the 2027 budget, with the council approving a plan to bring all employees to the base pay outlined in the recently conducted Salary Study. Employees who are already at or above the established base pay prior to 2027 will receive a $3,000 stipend.
There was considerable discussion surrounding this decision, as one council member voiced concerns that some employees will see a higher “raise” this year than others. Another council member pointed out that employees who are currently below the established base pay have been underpaid and are due to be brought up to the recommended base pay.
The council also discussed recommendations for reducing the budget. Departments discussed included the Decatur County Health Department, Parks & Recreation, and Decatur County Cumbridge funds.
The council spoke with representatives from each department and asked questions about why their proposed budgets were significantly higher than the recommended amounts.
After further discussion, the council was able to reduce the overall budget by moving some funds from County General to Jail Special Purpose.
The recommended 2027 budget to be submitted to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) was $13.1 million. After working through the budget, the council reduced its proposed budget to approximately $13.5 million, which will still reflect growth from 2026 to 2027.
The council also unanimously approved an increase in part-time pay from $18.00 per hour to $19.00 per hour.
