Raises Proposed for Starke County Poll Workers But Meal Concerns Remain

Posted on November 18, 2019
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI

Starke County poll workers may be getting a bigger raise than previously proposed, but not all election board members are on board with the proposed changes. Clerk Bernadette Welter-Manuel presented the rest of the board with some options, when it comes to poll worker pay.

Some of the ideas include raising the training pay from $10 to $25 and giving the lead facilitator under the vote center model a $10 increase over what judges currently make, since they’ll be required to return to the courthouse after the polls close.

But the biggest change the clerk is suggesting is that rather than giving every poll worker three meals a day, another $35 would be added to their pay. Board Member Harrison Fields continued to argue against that, saying that all the poll workers he’s talked to would quit. “I’m telling you people right now, there is not one poll worker in the past that’s going to work next spring unless they get the three meals they’re getting this year,” he said. “I’m telling you this right now.”

The rest of the election board disputed that. “I have a whole bunch that will,” said Welter-Manuel. “They want the $35 raise.”

Welter-Manuel told Fields that the county council removed all funding from the food line item in the 2020 budget. “Then let me ask you this, Harrison. What are we going to do with food?” the clerk asked. “Are you going to pay for it out of your pocket? Because my budget has zero for food. I have no way to pay for food. This is the only way they’re going to get food is by this way, taking it out of their pay budget.”

“Well, I disagree with you,” Fields said. “I think the election has to be paid for by the county.”

“Food does not have to be paid for by the county,” Welter-Manuel replied.

Welter-Manuel pointed out that the proposed vote center sites have refrigerators and microwaves, and most have full kitchens. Additionally, the poll workers could decide to pool their money and order food.

She added that many counties are planning raises for poll workers next year, and her proposal would help Starke County keep up. “So it sounds like a lot right now, until everybody else around us does their raises, and then we’ll be pushed back down to the middle again, anyway,” she explained. “I think our workers work an extra long time, and I do not believe that we need to be at the bottom of that pay list.”

Welter-Manuel said there’s enough money in the 2020 budget to support the raises, as long as the county switches to vote centers.