(A) General. The determination of a county employee’s salary is under the authority of the County Council, as established by I.C. 36-2-5-3.
(B) Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ADMINISTRATOR (DEPARTMENT HEAD). An individual elected, or appointed, who supervises employees and is responsible for the operation of the office for which he or she is elected, or appointed, and in the case of a DEPARTMENT HEAD, a supervisory employee appointed, or employed, by the Board of Commissioners, or other governing body, to direct and supervise an office or activity.
APPLICANT. A new hire eligible for employment from inside the county government organization, or outside of the county government organization.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT WAGE SCALE. The official wage scale adopted by the County Council which contains three salary amounts for each job classification, and these amounts are contained under the categories of “minimum”, “midpoint”, and “maximum”; used to determine starting salary.
FORMAL STARTING SALARY. The official written salary offer authorized and sent to the applicant by the human resources department after an administrator is consulted, and a determination is made on the starting salary.
INFORMAL STARTING SALARY. A salary amount that may be discussed with a job applicant by an administrator during a job interview process, which amount complies with the salary guidelines established by this section.
SALARY. The wages either calculated at per hour rate for non-exempt employees, or the annual dollar amount for exempt employees.
(C) Salary determination process.
(1) An administrator may discuss with an applicant an informal starting salary at minimum of the wage scale. Any informal salary offer is the decision of the administrator. Before a formal salary offer is made, the administrator must notify the human resources department and receive the approval of the new hire and the starting salary. The administrator is to use the requisition form from the human resources department to obtain the acknowledgment. The formal written salary offer to an applicant must be done by the human resources department.
(2) An administrator should not discuss a starting salary offer above the minimum of the wage scale without first securing the approval of the human resources department. The administrator will need to provide a written explanation to the human resources department demonstrating the applicant has either experience and/or education above the minimum required by the job description for consideration of a starting salary above the minimum. The administrator will use the Employee Requisition Form from the human resources department to make the request. The education and experience criteria will be used as a guide for approval of the requested starting pay.
(3) An administrator shall not extend any salary offer to an applicant above midpoint of the salary range without first securing the approval of human resources, and of the full County Council. The administrator will need to provide written justification using the Employee Requisition Form. The criteria for making a determination will be the applicant’s experience and/or education attainment above the minimum required for the position. Requesting an offer above midpoint should be infrequent, and any Administrator making a request will have to present a strong case. Consideration for approving an offer above the midpoint will require more time to process, and an additional appropriation. It is the responsibility of the administrator to request the necessary additional appropriation from the County Council, which meets monthly.
(4) Any formal written salary offer to an applicant must be done by the human resources department.
(D) Exemptions. The county government has a number of departments that are managed by elected officials. These departments may have a position(s) with the title of Chief Deputy, or other similar job title, and the person in the position is strictly appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the elected official making the appointment. By adoption of this policy, these positions are classified as special occupations. The special occupation classification is intentionally not shown as a job category on the county wage scale. Because these appointees serve directly at the will and pleasure of an elected official, and because most of these positions are established by state statute, the following exception is made: The salary for any position which is directly appointed by an elected official and serves at the will, and the pleasure of, an elected official shall be paid at the budgeted salary amount, and is not subject to starting salary procedures established by this section.
(E) Administration. The implementation of this section requires cooperation between the administrators and the human resources department. Administrators are encouraged to contact the human resources department when consideration is being given to fill a vacant position. The decision to hire an applicant to fill a vacant position is the function of an administrator, and is not a function of the County Council; however, the determination of a starting salary is the function of the County Council. Any formal written salary offer to an applicant will be made by the County Council through the human resources department. Any salary offer that does not comply with the provisions of this section will not be recognized, and the applicant will not be employed by the county.
(Council Res. 2017-12, passed 4-4-2017)