The Starke County Council members and Commissioners discussed the sheriff’s salary during their joint meeting last week.
Auditor Rachel Oesterreich informed the government leaders that an audit found that the sheriff was not given a raise in 2017. Further discussion found that a statute requires that the sheriff be paid 60 percent of what the prosecutor makes. That would raise his salary from $87,500 to $90,682.
Council President Dave Pearman recalls the discussion point in 2013 where the government leaders agreed to keep the salary at $87,500 because the sheriff also received money from tax warrants and thought that would be about 60 percent of the prosecutor’s salary. However, the statute states that it’s the sheriff’s salary, not collective income, which should be 60 percent of the prosecutor’s salary.
The council and commissioners agreed that the sheriff’s pay should reflect the state statute.
As for a 2017 audit, the State Board of Accounts found that the sheriff didn’t receive a raise with the other elected officials and the county is required to pay him that money. That action was approved.
