Skip to content
Government & Civic Affairs Blackford County

Blackford County Council Approves 4% Raise for All Employees, Passes 2027 Budget

By The Blackford Ledger The Blackford Ledger

From the Blackford County Council Budget Workshop #2 & Regular Meeting on August 5, 2026

The Blackford County Council approved a 4% salary increase for all county employees in a 6-0 vote. Part-time workers will see their hourly rate rise from $15.00 to $16.00, slightly above the 4% increase applied to full-time positions. All six members present — Jim Weiseman, Ryan Goodspeed, Casey Dick, Fred Tobey, Kyle Lechien, and Jack Beckley — voted in favor.

In a separate vote, the council set the highway foreman position at $30.00 per hour, or $62,400 annually. That vote passed 5-0 with Weiseman abstaining.

The council also gave tentative approval to the full 2027 county budget with all salary changes incorporated, voting 6-0. The budget now goes to a public appeals hearing on August 19 at 6 PM, followed by a required advertising period and final approval vote.

Source: YouTube transcript — Blackford County Council Budget Workshop #2 & Regular Meeting, August 5, 2026

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.

About our reporting: The Blackford Ledger builds its government coverage from official public records, and every report is reviewed by an editor before publication. Read our Editorial Policy & Corrections or request a correction.