Fourth time's a charm? Hillsboro City Council approves new pay ordinance

After a motion by the previous Hillsboro City Council to approve a revised city pay ordinance died for lack of a second in November, the newly reorganized city council passed the exact same legislation in their first meeting Thursday, Jan. 15.

The ordinance to adjust compensation for non-union city employees — which was the first new legislation introduced in 2026 — was approved by a 7-0 vote, following a 6-1 vote (with Heith Brown dissenting) for suspension of the three-reading rule.

As previously reported, after a nearly hourlong executive session, council members voted to revise the city’s pay ordinance in June. That pay ordinance revision added or revised several positions and their salary or wage ranges. The legislation was vetoed by Mayor Justin Harsha, but council overturned the mayoral veto at their August meeting.

An ordinance to adjust compensation for non-union city employees was then introduced in September. Instead of listing each position with either a salary range or pay rate range, this version of the ordinance had a pay scale, for grades 1-8, and a breakdown of which positions fell under each grade. After the ordinance had its first reading in September, the finance committee met in October to review, and revise, the ordinance, including adding other positions.

A motion in November died for lack of a second after former council member Jason Brown pointed out that there was no cap on raises for employees.

The legislation’s reintroduction Thursday marked the fifth time since January 2026 council has been asked to consider a pay ordinance update.

Prior to the vote, finance committee chair Gary Lewis spoke about his committee’s Jan. 9 meeting to review the wage study completed by Clemans Nelson & Associates and the resulting legislation as proposed.

“Primary debate was centered around the admission of wage step increases from the study and if they should be included,” Lewis said. “Mr. [Shawn] Adkins [safety and service director] explained that step increases have not been a part of wage legislation for over 20 years. In lieu of step increases, management has received a range in wages to be used in evaluating employees based on merit. Historically, management has not increased an employee to the maximum.”

Lewis said that the three committee members, which also include former chair Mary Stanforth and Adam Wilkin, voted to recommend passage of the legislation by an emergency “to make it effective with the next pay period after passage.” 

Lewis added that due to the legislation’s consideration during the 2025 calendar year, the January meeting was “essentially the fourth reading of the legislation,” while the 2026 budget “was predicated on the recommendations” contained in the wage study.

As approved, Grade 1 positions include deputy clerk, custodian, administrative assistant II and meter reader. The minimum pay would be $20/hour, middle would be $24/hour and maximum would be $28/hour.

Grade 2 positions are code enforcement official, paralegal, equipment operator, parks and recreation laborer, public works laborer, administrative assistant II/building department, utility office clerk and director of victims’ rights. The minimum pay would be $21/hour, middle would be $25.20/hour and maximum would be $29.40/hour.

Grade 3 positions are administrative assistant for the police department, deputy tax administrator, deputy auditor I and equipment operator. The minimum pay would be $22.47/hour, middle would be $26.96/hour and maximum would be $31.46/hour.

Grade 4 positions are public works crew leader, clerk of court/bailiff, administrative assistant I, wastewater treatment plant operator, water treatment plant operator I, director of victims’ rights/paralegal, deputy auditor HR/office manager and utility office manager. The minimum pay would be $24.49/hour, middle would be $29.39/hour and maximum would be $34.29/hour.

Grade 5 positions are economic development coordinator/grant writer, systems administrator and wastewater treatment plant operator II. The minimum pay would be $26.94/hour, middle would be $32.33/hour and maximum would be $37.72/hour.

Grade 6 positions are the assistant prosecuting attorney, assistant law director, tax administrator and wastewater treatment plant/water treatment plant operator class III. The minimum pay would be $29.64/hour, middle would be $35.56/hour and maximum would be $41.49/hour.

Grade 7 positions are the parks and recreation director, wastewater treatment plant superintendent and water treatment plant superintendent. Their minimum salary would be $67,808, middle would be $81,369.60 and maximum would be $94,931.20.

Grade 8 positions are the chief of police, public works superintendent and safety and service director. Their minimum salary would be $75,275.20, middle would be $90,313.60 and maximum would be $105,372.80. The police chief also receives a stipend for serving as systems administrator, ranging from $28,019.19 to $39,226.87.

In other legislation:

• Also approved was one of three proposed ordinances to change the zoning classifications of certain parcels and modify the zoning map.

As previously reported, the three ordinances introduced in December involve the rezoning of Maple Run Drive, Wellston Street and East Main Street parcels. The ordinance related to the East Main Street  properties, which are owned by Steve Thompson/Thompson Funeral Home, was approved as an emergency following suspension of the three-reading rule, while the other two ordinances had their second reading. 

A five-minute public hearing on the proposed zoning changes was held Thursday evening prior to the regular council meeting. To provide background on the changes, council president Tom Eichinger read the Dec. 4 zoning and annexation committee meeting minutes. 

Regarding the rezoning of the Thompson Funeral Home properties from A to B, Planning Commission chair Rob Holt said “the entire area around these properties could potentially be changed from A to B in the near future, when a new GIS system gets implemented,” but these parcels are specifically being changed for a previously discussed expansion plan for the funeral home to add a crematorium. Due to those plans, “it was asked if it could be declared an emergency, as they will still have to have a variance and public hearing after the rezoning takes place,” Eichinger read from the minutes.

In response to a question from resident Paul Garringer regarding the parcels encompassing the funeral home, Eichinger explained that “there is a provision in the law that allows us to basically set that up as an overlay zoning area where everything that's there is essentially residential right now, A, we can overlay that as B, so that there can be little shops and stuff like that in those homes, if they wish. 

“It’s something that Planning Commission is looking at for some future consideration,” Eichinger said. “Nothing has been decided yet, but it allows more multiple-use activities, particularly in some of the larger homes that may not stay single-family.”

The affected parcels are 25-44-001-213.00, 25-44-001-212.00, 25-44-001-209.00, 25- 44-001-194.00 and 25-54-001-210.00.    

• A resolution authorizing the mayor and/or city auditor to enter into an investment management agreement for municipal investment services with RedTree Investment Group was passed as an emergency on its first reading (after suspension of the three-reading rule) at the request of city auditor Dawson Barreras. 

According to the legislation, the city’s Treasury Investment Board met with RedTree Investment Group Dec. 15 and is recommending a change to that company. The resolution authorizes the transfer of funds currently invested through Fifth Third Bank to RedTree “for investment purposes.” 

“Currently, we have around $2 million invested,” Barreras said. “It's been invested for about two years now, and it's only yielded about $1,000 somehow. 

“We finally have our Treasury Investment Board intact, and the city is sitting on $15 million of liquid cash. It is getting a little interest, but I would like council to allow me to invest up to $10 million to hopefully triple that investment.”

In response to a question from Brown, Barreras said that the city’s bank will only insure up to $9 million, with the remaining funds needing to be invested. 

Barreras asked council to consider passing the legislation as an emergency because the city could otherwise “be missing out on tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of interest” by waiting three months to move forward.

Council member Cody Mathews asked if the proposed change was a “sound investment” with “pretty reliable yields.”

“I'm not sure what that $2 million was yielding — I'll have to go back and look — but to only make $1,000 on $2 million is asinine,” Barreras said. “Hopefully we can yield at least three and a quarter percent on the APY [annual percentage yield], on this $10 million, which would be hopefully upwards of, you know, $15,000 a month.”

Mathews also asked if the city could access the funds if necessary. Barreras said that they could “have liquid on hand within about two business days, if need be.”

In response to a question from Stanforth regarding keeping the money in an account versus investing, Barreras said there is “an extreme amount of ties that go to investment for city money.

“You can’t trade any stocks or crypto, anything like that,” Barreras said. “It’s pretty much only CDs and things of that nature.”

• A resolution authorizing the Safety and Service Director to apply for, accept and enter into an agreement to participate in the 2026 Community Clean-up Grant Program was also approved following suspension of the three-reading rule. According to Adkins, “This is the program the city utilizes in order to host an annual Dumpster Day event,” through an agreement with the RPHF Solid Waste District.

• An ordinance expanding a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) passed by a 7-0 vote following its third reading. 

The expansion was recommended by the street and safety committee, following improvements to Beech and Railroad streets. According to the legislation, the city will be submitting an updated application to the state to include portions of North and South High Street, East and West Main Street, Elm Street, Railroad Street, West Beech Street, North and South West Street, Governor Trimble Place and Governor Foraker Place, encompassing approximately 45 acres.

In other discussion:

• In his report, Adkins gave an update on several ongoing projects, including the $5.2 million renovation of Crossroads Park using Appalachian Community Grant funding.

“They're done moving dirt,” Adkins said. “They're actually installing water lines right now, so the infrastructure is almost down there.”

On a related note, for the Rails and Trails project, “the city crews will start” work this month, Adkins added. As previously reported, the city received a $1.44 million grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation for a “Rails to Trails” walking and bicycling trail on the city’s abandoned railroad bed.

Repairs to the Clear Creek Bridge on U.S. 62 are still being completed by the Ohio Department of Transportation, Adkins said.

For private development updates, Adkins said that construction on the new Amazon plant is “nearing completion” and expected to be done by the beginning of February, while he said he had an upcoming meeting planned with counsel and state officials on the long-discussed Marriott Hotel project.

Adkins also reported that the city issued 11 building permits, including eight residential and three commercial, in the month of December.

• Eichinger reviewed the list of chairs of council committees, as six of the seven have changed hands. The only chair continuing to lead the same committee is council member Wilkin, who chairs the street and safety committee. The other committee chairs are: Logan Kelly, parks; Brown, civil service-employee relations; Stanforth, utilities; Dan Baucher, zoning and annexation; Mathews, community enhancement; and as already mentioned, Lewis is the finance chair. 

• Although Mayor Justin Harsha was not in attendance, Adkins noted that the mayor has appointed council member (and firefighter) Kelly as the city’s representative on the Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District board, while Lewis was appointed to the Hillsboro Planning Commission.

• After a motion by Wilkin, council voted unanimously to appoint Stanforth as council president pro tempore for the 2026 calendar year. 

• Early in the meeting, council members and administration held a nine-minute executive session to discuss “an issue raised with a citizen that involves imminent litigation,” as requested by Adkins.

• During the citizens’ comments portion of the meeting, a Hillsboro resident alleged that the city is “holding up” an electrical permit application due to a separate issue involving income taxes. Due to Eichinger saying the matter “is already becoming a legal issue,” neither council nor law director Hannah Bivens responded to the resident’s questions.

“I can advise council that [the resident’s] building permit has been forwarded on to the Warren County building department,” Bivens said. “It was forwarded on last week.”

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