PHOTO BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
2026 WAGES … Committee member Jason Gruver (above) discusses the village’s proposed 2026 wage compensation and health plans during its Wage and Compensation Committee meeting held on Thursday, October 23, in the village council chambers.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
The Edgerton Wage & Compensation Committee met on Thursday, October 23, reviewing an updated wage and compensation plan for the 2026 village budget.
Committee members in attendance were council members Jason Gruver, Leslie VanAusdale, and Pam Wampler. Chuck Wallace was absent.
Also attending were Mayor Robert Day, Village Administrator Dawn Fitzcharles, and Fiscal Officer Denise Knecht. The meeting began at 5:00 p.m.
Fitzcharles presented a report from Clemens, Nelson, and Associates. “They went out and did time studies and made sure our allocations were correct and pointed it according to five different degrees that established its pay grade assignment,” Fitzcharles explained.
The village’s wage and compensation plan increases with the change in Ohio’s minimum wage from year to year.
In the year 2026, the minimum wage will increase from $10.70 per hour to $11 per hour in Ohio, due to state law and changes in inflation costs.
“What the idea is, and the initiative is why voters pushed it to be the way it is, was to phase-in towards the $15 per hour minimum wage,” said Fitzcharles about the wage adjustment.
The committee also looked at the village’s health insurance plan, in which they studied two different plans provided by the Northern Buckeye Health Care.
In 2025, the cost for health plan coverage was $701 for single plan coverage and $1,835 for family plan coverage.
In addition, the plan will have a minimum deductible of $3,400 with a maximum out-of-pocket cost of $17,000. Fitzcharles said the costs have to be maintained under HSA (Health Savings Account) compliance.
Village employees are currently paying $1,228 (HSA single) and $2,351 (HSA family). The village will match the HSA cost up to $1,650.
Regarding vision coverage for village employees, the single plan will be $3.56, and the family plan will be $2.99. Dental coverage will be $2.50 per employee, and there will be no rate increase for 2026.
In 2026, the rate difference for single health plan coverage will be $18 and $46 for family health plan coverage per month.
“The way the budgeting works is we budget like everybody is going to take the family plan and participate in the HSA, and take all that is available,” said Fitzcharles.
Committee members discussed the village’s hourly wage structure involving various job positions from utilities to the police department.
Fitzcharles mentioned the village needs to fill five different job positions, including office administration, public works, and the water and sewer department.
The committee also recommended a three percent cost-of-living increase across the board, along with a 50/50 contribution share of the Health Savings Account between the employee and the village, pending council approval.
The meeting adjourned at 6:07 p.m.