Huntingburg Council sets 3.5% cap on 2027 pay ranges

The Huntingburg Common Council on Tuesday raised the top of 2027 pay ranges for city employees and elected officials to 3.5%, up a half point from the 3% written into most of next year’s proposed budget.

The council passed two salary ordinances on the same night it introduced them, after voting to suspend the rules. Ordinance 2026-33 covers city employees. Ordinance 2026-34 covers elected officials. Both passed 4-0, with Councilman Jeff Bounds absent.

Clerk-Treasurer Tom Dippel said the proposed budget generally used 3%, with 4% for police. Each half-percentage point adds about $15,000 additional in the budget, he said.

Councilwoman Pam Bolte pushed for at least matching inflation, which she put at 3.6% as of August. “If you’re not giving a raise at the rate of inflation, then people are making less money each year,” she said. She also noted $15,000 would be easier to find than the roughly $30,000 a 4% increase would cost.

Dippel said the ordinance sets the high end of each range. It does not guarantee raises. Supervisors decide individual raises, he said.

Mayor Neil Elkins said about a half-dozen long-term employees are already at the top of their ranges. They would receive only 3.5%, while employees who have not been maxed can receive more based on longevity and certifications.

When asked if the budget could handle the increase, Dippel said the city probably has “more in our budget than we could sustain,” adding that employee wages and benefits were the city’s largest expense. “But we do need to take care of them,” he said.

Elkins said the extra money would mean cuts elsewhere. He pointed to new phones and computers in the proposed budget, which he said were entered at high-end, non-negotiated prices and should come in lower. Changes to the city’s phone lines will save about $40,000 a year, he told the council. He said a portion of that would be realized within the week.

Councilman Steve McPherron acknowledged that the city employees have great insurance and other benefits. “But…they need to provide for their families,” he added.

In other business, the council approved a contract amendment with PS Engineering to oversee bidding and construction of the Fourth Street project. Elkins said rates match those from two years ago, with some fee changes. City Attorney Phil Schneider reviewed the contract.

Energy Superintendent John Reutepohler said gas crews have changed out 40 meters since the last meeting and expect to finish leaving the drive-by meter-reading system next month. An upcoming leak survey will cover about half of Huntingburg plus the business districts in Huntingburg and Ireland. It will take several weeks. Residents may see crews on an all-terrain vehicle with leak survey signs in backyards and easements. Electric crews removed an old siren near Freedom Bank and replaced two blocks of brittle copper primary line near Casey’s with aluminum. That work caused two outages of about 90 minutes each.

Water Superintendent Jerry Austin reported main breaks at 407 N. Geiger St., 307 N. Van Buren St., and Chestnut and Main streets, where an 8-inch main had a hole about the size of a baseball. Fall hydrant flushing began Sept. 8. Crews also installed a flush hydrant at the Northside Fire Station so firefighters can fill trucks and test hoses on site. In a discussion about leaks, Austin said the smart meter system does not catch every leak. He also asked residents to call the utility office to update their phone numbers so they can properly notify residents of leaks or other issues.

Elkins said filming for a documentary last week led to plans for Butler and Bellarmine to play a baseball game at League Stadium next April. Butler Coach Blake Beemer plays the subject of the docudrama, Oscar Charleston.

Elkins also said the Indiana Chamber of Commerce plans a statewide article on Huntingburg in November. He also said Red, White and Boots organizers told the city five families moved to Huntingburg after last year’s festival.