CROTHERSVILLE
Most Crothersville town employees could receive a bump in pay at the start of 2017.
The first reading of an ordinance to fix the salaries of appointed officials and employees of the town recently was unanimously passed by the town council. That includes setting pay ranges for all of those positions.
Council President Lenvel “Butch” Robinson suggested a $1-per-hour pay increase for two of the town’s full-time police officers and one town employee, while others will receive a 25-cent-per-hour increase.
The only ones who may not receive a pay increase are the clerk-treasurer and the five town council members.
Robinson and the clerk-treasurer received pay raises at the beginning of this year. The other four council members were elected to the board in November 2015 and began serving in January, and their pay was aligned with Robinson’s.
The second and final reading of the ordinance will be during the next monthly town council meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The ordinance has been publicized and also is available to view at Crothersville Town Hall during regular business hours.
Robinson said he thought police officers J.L. McElfresh and Christopher Cooper deserve a $1-per-hour raise in pay, which doesn’t include the 50-cent-per-hour raise they will receive upon completion of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
“We’ve got to get this police department (pay) up to where we can keep policemen here instead of them coming here, hiring on, getting training and taking off and going somewhere else,” Robinson said.
When McElfresh started April 21, that gave Crothersville four full-time police officers for the first time.
McElfresh recently graduated from the law enforcement academy, while Cooper is just starting there. Cooper started as a reserve officer in September 2015 and was hired full time in February.
The police chief currently makes $18 per hour, while the senior patrolman earns $15 per hour, and a patrolman receives $13.50 an hour.
Robinson also proposed increasing Nick Tatlock’s pay by $1 per hour, going from $14.50 to $15.50. Tatlock was hired full time in December 2015 to help reduce the workloads of Chris Mains and Mason Boicourt, the street/water and sewer superintendents.
Mains and Councilman Bob Lyttle both said they thought Tatlock deserved a pay increase because of the knowledge and skills he brings to the town.
The sewer superintendent’s current pay is $19.31 an hour, and the street/water superintendent makes $16.99 per hour.