Most Allen County government employees will get a small raise next year. One, however, may have just taken a huge pay cut before even getting a job.
County Council on Thursday decided that Craig L. Nelson, a dentist and Republican candidate for coroner next month, does not meet the legal description of “physician” – a distinction that, if elected, would cause him to be paid about $30,500 instead of the $45,800 offered coroners who do meet that standard.
...
But Nelson's potential bad news was the exception Thursday, not the rule, as Council agreed to give an across-the-board 2 percent raise next year to most employees and – excluding themselves -- elected officials.
The raise will cost about $1 million and was made possible by a savings of about $3 million realized by the County Commissioners' decision to place all employees under a single health-care provider: Lutheran Health Network.
In reality, however, the decision will increase employees' take-home pay by only 1 percent. Council had previously required most employees to contribute 3 percent of their salaries to their retirement funds and had approved a 2 percent bonus to offset part of that expense. Thursday's vote restores the remaining 1 percent and allows for the additional 1 percent raise.
...
