Starke County government employees stand to get raises in 2017 following action by the county council during their budget hearing Monday evening. They recommended approval of 2-percent raises for all employees. That will cost about $65,000, which will come from the county general fund.
Last year employees got one-percent pay raises and longevity for those with five years of continuous, full-time county employment. The policy is designed to reward workers who stay with the county and does not apply to elected officials. Additionally employees who retire from the county but later return to work will not have their prior years of service count toward their longevity.
Council members noted year-to-year changes at the state level make it hard to say what they will be able to do for employees in 2018, so they opted for a slightly higher raise in 2017’s budget proposal. The bump in pay still must be approved by the state.
