PENDLETON — Pendleton Town Council approved the town’s 2024 budget, among other things, at its regular October meeting.
Following a public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 12, the council voted unanimously to pass a budget of $10,510,634.
The largest fund of the adopted budget comes from the Special Fire Protection Territory General fund ($4,247,827). Following that are the general fund ($2,598,193), park fund ($1,221,850), motor highway vehicle fund ($559,951), local income tax fund ($545,833), and Special Fire Protection Territory Equipment Replace fund ($363,340).
A few other funds fall below $250,000 for the year.
The adopted property tax levy to go along with the 2024 budget totals $8,788,000.
Money from other sources, such as state gas tax proceeds and local income tax, make up the difference between the levy and the budget total, Town Council President Marissa Skaggs later said.
The town’s water and electric utilities are also additional sources of revenue, she said.
The budget will be reviewed by Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, where it will be subject to possible adjustment prior to certification, Skaggs said.
Along with the budget, the council approved the 2024 wage and salary ordinance for the town.
Town council compensation saw no increase: the council president will receive $7,500 per year, the vice president $6,500 and all other council members $6,000. The town manager will be paid $4,196.46 per bi-weekly pay.
Other town positions, such as those in the planning department, utility office, electric department, water department, street department and stormwater department were approved in the ordinance as well.
Increases in pay ranged from 5% to 10%, Skaggs said.
In each category the highest wages are planning director ($3,636.16 per pay), office manager ($29.37 per hour), electric department supervisor ($50.78 per hour), water department supervisor ($34.61 per hour), street department supervisor ($31.66 per hour) and stormwater department supervisor ($27.96 per hour).
In the police department wages are as follows: Chief ($3,905.25 per pay), captain ($3,653.85 per pay), sergeant ($3,008.06 per pay) and patrol officer ($2,693.44 per pay).
Pendleton Police Chief Marc Farrer said the starting patrolman salary will increase from $60,000 to $70,000 and his salary will increase from $87,000 to $101,000.
Pendleton Police Department salaries increase to “bring parity between the police department and fire territory positions,” Skaggs said.
Farrer said it was important to bring salaries to a point where they’re competitive with those in neighboring agencies, which among other things, will help with officer retention.
The fire territory and park department pass their own salary ordinances/resolutions, Skaggs said.
In other news, the council:
– Approved an ordinance to regulate overnight parking in the town. To limit issues with snow removal throughout the town, the ordinance will prohibit overnight parking in certain designated public parking spaces between the hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. All spaces with restrictions will be marked with signs stating so, and vehicles parked in violation of the restrictions will be towed at the owners’ expense.
– Approved a joint resolution between the town council and Madison County Board of Commissioners to allow the entities’ building inspectors to conduct inspections in each other’s jurisdiction when their own inspector is not available.