City-County Council Votes to Have Marion County Elected Officials to get Raises

Source: Danielle Zulkosky/WISH-TV / other

INDIANAPOLIS — The City-County Council voted to give significant raises to Marion County elected officials, just as unions representing city workers push for wage increases.  

The unions, including AFSCME Local 725, which represents Department of Public Works employees—the ones responsible for road repairs—are currently in negotiation.  

Vince Gartin, a Public Works employee and union steward, expressed hope for better pay, he said, “We’re really looking forward to it. We went many years without even getting a raise.”  

The council’s vote approved at least a 42% salary increase for officials like the county assessor, auditor, clerk, and others.  

At the Monday meeting where the vote was taken, City-County Council Member Dan Boots, a Democrat, said, “These elected officials have had a flat salary for nearly 15 years without even a mere or simple cost-of-living adjustment. Starting at their salary 15 years ago adding an annual cost-of-living adjustment each of those years, arriving at the current number.”  

“These salary adjustments for elected officials will not impact negotiations with union contracts, as they come from entirely separate funding sources and are financially marginal in comparison to the number of union employees impacted by these negotiations,” said City-County Council President Vop Osili.  

Steven Quick, president of AFSCME Local 725, declined to share specific wage demands but mentioned that the union is conducting a market analysis to determine fair pay. “We’re looking at those numbers to kind of get a feel for where we should be at. I think everybody’s on the same page on the administration side and the union side that it’s time for the employees to get an increase,” he said.  

Public Works employees aren’t the only ones in talks for new contracts.  

Unions representing the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, and city firefighters are also negotiating with the city as the 2025 budget progresses through the City-County Council. A final decision on the budget is expected by October. 

City-County Council Votes to Have Marion County Elected Officials to get Raises was originally published on wibc.com