Charlestown City Council approves pay raises for employees

Erik Hackman, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·2 min read

Oct. 4—CHARLESTOWN — The Charlestown City Council approved pay increases for city employees during its Monday meeting.

The pay increases are for the maximum amount that each employee can make, so not every person will receive a pay increase immediately. Each department was approved for at least a 5% increase, with some OK'd for up to 10%.

"This is the salary ordinance so the council is not voting on the individual raises for each individual employee," Charlestown Mayor Treva Hodges said. "All you're voting on is the maximum amount that I'm allowed to pay the employees of that class."

Hodges ultimately will decide how much of a raise each employee will receive.

Raises and pay rates approved vary in each department, with certain employees earning varying amounts based on their positions. For instance, the mayor's assistant maximum weekly salary will be $867.53, and the receptionist for the mayor's office will be an hourly rate of $15.75.

Altogether, there will be nine departments whose employees will receive a maximum pay increase.

During the meeting, one employee, the assistant sports director, was recommended for a 23% increase.

In 2020, the position was changed to an assistant role and underwent a 35% decrease in pay, going from $41,500 to $27,040. The city did this as a test to see if the role was needed and the results showed that the position was worth it.

"The results have been good. We've had three unique additions to the programming this year," Hodges said. "We have the MLB camp, we had the science camp during spring break and then during fall break, we have a theater camp so it's appealing to multiple interests. Community feedback has been good."

City officials want to restore the position to what it once was because the current employee has been working overtime hours and feels underpaid, Councilwoman Ruthie Jackson said.

It is not standard that anyone should work more than 40 hours a week for the city, Hodges said. It is encouraged that if you go over 40 hours a week you should take time off the next week to make up for it, she said.