The Starke County Council members will be revising the salary ordinance to allow for a Starke County Sheriff’s Office employee helping out with case work.
Newly-appointed County Council President Brad Hazelton read aloud from a letter that an employee who had worked with the county for several years was hired as a part-time jailer at $14.00 an hour, which is higher than the $12.51 rate of pay, because of his many years of experience.
Sheriff Bill Dulin explained that Ron Lawson, who has 34 years of previous experience in police work, has been helping with detective work with a backlog of 400 cases, and gathering statistical information for grants, filing timely reports among other clerical work. According to Dulin, he was hired as a part-time jailer but was offered a higher rate because of his experience. Dulin added that Lawson was originally hired as a part-time officer, but the pay was less and the line item would have been exhausted of funds by April.
In order to pay him at a rate of no more than $14 an hour, a new job title needs to be created in the salary ordinance with a set rate per hour. The county council members unanimously approved this action to take place. Sheriff Dulin will present a job description for a jail clerk to be presented for approval at the February meeting. Both the county council and commissioners will need to review the proposed job description and funding.
