(La Porte, IN) - La Porte County government workers could receive a bonus as a first step toward slowing a high turnover rate in some departments.

 

The La Porte County Commissioners voted to support a $4,000 bonus for medics and other workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The commissioners also favor a $2,000 bonus for all other full-time employees and a $1,000 bonus for part-time and seasonal workers.

 

During Wednesday’s Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Sheila Matias said the number of medics and other workers leaving for higher-paying jobs elsewhere has to stop. Matias is concerned about the number of departures from E-911 and how it might impact community safety and well-being. 

 

“The time is now to invest in our employees,” she said.

The $2.5 million for the bonuses would come from federal American Rescue Plan money. The commissioners ask the La Porte County Council to approve the bonuses at their next meeting on November 22 until they determine how much the county can afford to give in pay raises.

 

Matias said more than 20 employees had left the La Porte County Emergency Medical Service this year for higher-paying jobs in places like Porter County. She said turnover is also becoming a problem at E-911.

 

Those losses are alarming because of the roles those jobs play in public safety, according to Matias.