Allen County employees will receive a 4% cost of living adjustment (COLA) wage increase at the beginning of the new year following a unanimous vote of approval by county commissioners Tuesday morning. Commissioners had been discussing the COLA increase over the past few weeks with much thought given to the amount being somewhere between 3%-4%.
Even with the 4% increase, Allen County Sheriff Bryan Murphy sought additional funding for his employees.
“The problem I have is hiring and retention,” he said. “I have nine people on the road and I’m five short.”
MURPHY said neighboring counties “aren’t starting at anything less than $20.” Murphy added current starting wages for patrol in Allen County are $17.51.
Murphy stressed he can’t compete with bigger counties offering higher starting wages, noting he has only received one application. He added that public safety across the nation is facing staffing or wage issues.
Commissioner Jerry Daniels said that the sheriff’s predicament “is a disgrace.”
Murphy countered, “It’s not a disgrace. What is a disgrace is we have guys going out there protecting the public for $17 an hour.”
“We can throw money at it Murphy, but I don’t know how we’re going to fix your problem,” declared Daniels. Cutting the tense exchange short, Commissioner David Lee clarified that they wouldn’t have a concrete answer for the issue that same day. “We’re going to act, it just won’t be today,” he added.
IN OTHER NEWS, Christopher Holloway, Shelby Peters, and Brigham Folk updated the commission on work they’ve been doing within the area. The three are Iola High School seniors and are interns with Thrive Allen County. “Our purpose is to empower the youth generation and make them feel heard,” said Peters. “We want our youth to them feel heard,” said Peters. “We want our youth to come back to Allen County after they graduate from college or any further education.”
On Nov. 15, the three interns visited Marmaton Valley High School to discuss with the freshmen class their thoughts on how to better their community.
“One of the biggest concerns they had was the state of the track,” noted Peters. “These young athletes are forced to run on the highway when having track practice. This not only jeopardizes their safety, but also their high school experience.” The high school currently has a gravel track, preventing the school from hosting meets.
An approved track could also promote economic growth, added Peters, bringing business to local restaurants and grocery stores whenever a track meet is held. Holoway and Folk both noted that by working with area clubs, the idea of a track could be possible.
HOLLOWAY confirmed the three of them will be visiting other schools, including Iola and Humboldt, and possibly Allen Community College. The three are enrolled in the Community Connections class, which has led to them communicating with youth from the region.
The commission also approved to fund Chelsie Decker’s trip to the NENA’s Standards & Best Practices Conference at a not-to-exceed total of $2,500. This would include the flight, hotel, and conference fees.
Commissioners also unanimously approved the amended budget, increasing the spending authority of the ambulance, emergency equipment, and noxious weeds funds.
