As part of the 2025 budgeting process, Wayne County Council received a request that probation officers reduce their weekly hours to 37.5 while maintaining the same wages.
Kory George, the county’s chief probation officer, presented information during the Oct. 2 council and commissioners meetings about that reduction from 40 hours. The state establishes probation officers’ minimum pay, then the county has paid 2% more than that. The state set the 2025 entry level salary at $42,311.
George received survey replies from 82 counties that show Wayne County is one of 11 departments where probation officers work 40 hours, with some in other counties working as little as 32.5 hours per week. George said that creates a difference in hourly pay of nearly $5, and for the extra 2% above minimum, Wayne County’s probation officers work as much as 18.75% more hours than colleagues in other counties.
Probation officers are classified as court employees, and they are the only Wayne County judicial employees working a 40-hour schedule. Judges have the authority to set the probation schedule; however, they and George wanted to pursue council and commissioner endorsements for the change.
Even with the reduction, probation employees would work more hours than 70% of the 82 departments responding to George’s survey. George said his probation officers have an average tenure of 17 years with the department, and with the 40-hour work weeks, they’ve worked up to 3.5 years more time than some counties’ 17-year employees.
Council voted 6-1 for an endorsement. Gary Saunders said he would accept the judges’ decision; however, he did not want to approve the concept, thinking other departments might then seek hours reductions.
That afternoon, commissioners did not vote on the issue. Despite a policy of moving more departments to 40-hour work weeks, Mary Anne Butters expressed support for the reduction. Brad Dwenger said he would like to study the issue more but is not now behind the idea.
2025 budget
Council conducted a public hearing for the proposed 2025 budget that was advertised at $53,271,703, including $40,325,920 in the general fund. No residents spoke during the public hearing.
Tony Gillam, chair of council’s finance committee, commended council members for their work on the budget.
“We do an awful lot to come up with a budget,” Gillam said, “and that’s why Wayne County is fiscally sound.”
In addition, no residents spoke during council’s public hearing on the $173,826 Wayne Union Recycling budget. That budget is funded through tipping charges at the New Paris Pike Landfill plus contributions from Richmond Sanitary District, Wayne County Soil and Water and Union County Soil and Water.
Council plans to adopt both budgets during its Oct. 16 workshop.
A version of this article appeared in the October 9 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.