Jasper Common Council meeting: Pay raises approved (updated)

The Jasper Common Council approved pay raises for themselves and city employees at the council meeting last night.

The salary and full-time utility department and civil city employees will receive a two percent cost of living raise. The mayor and clerk will also receive a two percent raise. Part-time employees will receive a 15 cents per hour increase.

Council members are paid quarterly and their annual pay increases $1,000 from $5,500.00 to $6,500.00.

The council’s last pay increase was in 2007 when it was increased from $5,000 to $5,500.

The council decided to increase their pay since they hadn’t had an increase for seven years. Additionally, they have become more involved with committees and commissions as the city continues to progress with new economic and quality of life initiatives.

A 2014 Indiana Association of Cities and Towns study of council members’ pay indicated Jasper council members were one of the lowest paid among comparable cities. In Dubois County, Huntingburg council members are paid $6,o57 annually; they eschewed a pay raise this year. Boonville council members are paid $7,200 annually.

Also, the council heard a request for a letter of intent from the Mayor and City Attorney Renee Kabrick on the behalf of Miller-Valentine of Cincinnati. The letter commits the city to providing $450,000 in tax incentives and $50,000 from economic development income taxes to assist the developer in it application for a federal tax grant to convert the JOFCO building on Vine Street into apartments. Story here. 

Council member Greg Schnaar made a motion to allow the city to write a letter stating that the city would extend an offer of tax incentives of $450,000.00 and the commitment of edit funds totaling $50,000.00 over a ten year period to go along with the grant from the federal government.

The council passed the motion.