Trafalgar council members approved roughly 8-20% raises across the board for most town employees, including police and board members.
Council members for the past two months have been debating raises for employees, and whether the town’s budget can handle it. Trafalgar Police Chief Charles Roberts especially pushed for raises for all full-time and part-time officers because Trafalgar officers are some of the lowest paid in the county, compared to other agencies.
The council, during a Wednesday special meeting, approved a salary ordinance that raises full-time officers’ pay by $5,000 for each position, from chief to probationary. Part-time officer pay increased from $25 an hour to $30 an hour. Council members officially agreed on the pay during the Dec. 8 meeting, and passed the ordinance Wednesday.
“I know we need to become more competitive, and it’s unacceptable to me that our police officers make what they make now,” said Jessica Jones, town council president, at the Dec. 8 council meeting.
Council member Jeff Eisenmenger was more hesitant to approve raises because the town is tight on money. He was not opposed to raising pay, but he believed the town should not be spending nearly 100% of its revenue coming in, he said.
“I know these guys work. I know. But we have to pay for it. I’d like to run this town like I run my home,” Eisenmenger said. “I’m all about giving you folks a raise, I’m pro-police.”
Police officers, as well as other town employees, are also set to start paying 5% of their insurance premium, in order to offset the cost of the raises. The town in the past has always paid 100% of all town employees’ insurance.
Also in the salary ordinance were raises for utility employees.
Loggan Axsom, utility and street superintendent, asked his salary to remain the same, but requested pay raises for the town utility technicians. He asked one employee to receive full-time pay of $20 an hour and another to get a raise of $23 an hour. The part-time utility clerk pay was raised from $18.50 to $20 an hour. Utility employees are also going to pay 5% of their insurance premium.
Clerk-Treasurer Donna Moore is also getting a $5,000 raise, bringing her pay to just over $46,000. The town council members additionally gave themselves a roughly 20% raise. All town council members were paid $3,000 per year for sitting on the board, since the last time they were given a raise in 2017.
The council voted to raise their pay to $3,600 for regular members, and $4,000 for the council president. The Trafalgar Town Council pay has been on the lower end, compared to other towns in the county. Prince’s Lakes council members made around $4,000 in 2021, New Whiteland’s council made $4,900 and Whiteland’s around $6,000, according to salary data from Indiana Gateway.
Annual pay for the plan commission, board of zoning appeals and police board was also raised. Plan commission members’ pay was raised from $423 a year to $600. BZA members and police board member pay was raised from $123 a year to $150.
Jones has previously said raising the town boards’ pay is a necessity to encourage people to run for office or for board appointments.
“We need to inspire more people to run for the election next year,” Jones said at the town council’s Nov. 17 meeting. ” … it looks bad saying I feel like we need a raise, but I think it would help get better qualified people to run.”
