•September 14, 2016•

A plan to improve courthouse employee starting salaries was presented to the Moultrie County Board personnel committee September 6.

Committee chair Roger Glazebrook greeted representatives from the courthouse clerical staff as well as attending office holders to the afternoon session.

Courthouse staff spokesperson Krista Helmuth presented committee members with information on comparative  salaries in surrounding counties, revealing Moultrie County’s starting clerical salary of $18,000 is lower than all.

“The circuit clerk’s office recently lost two longtime employees to the city of Sullivan,” Helmuth said, noting a pattern of new employees training for various tasks in a county office only to leave after receiving a better offer outside is putting a strain on existing employees and service.

Cindy Braden noted the last opening she posted had four applicants. “When faced with turnover issues with corrections in the past, the county improved starting salaries in an effort to keep employees,” Braden said of county board practice in a similar situation.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.