By Jef Rietsma
CENTREVILLE – St. Joseph County Administrator Teresa Cupp has agreed to a two-year contract renewal.
The matter was confirmed during Tuesday’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting.
Cupp, a 50-year-old Mendon Township resident, is completing her seventh year as the highest-ranking, non-elected employee in county government. She said she appreciates the confidence the seven-member board has in her and her ability to oversee the job.
“I’m deeply grateful to the board of commissioners for their continued support and commitment,” she said. “It’s an honor to serve St. Joseph County and work alongside such a strong and dedicated team.”
Cupp, an at-will employee, said she is proud of the work county employees perform daily. Furthermore, she said it’s a privilege to collaborate with an outstanding staff, whose members are passionate about making a positive impact.
Her 2024 salary is $126,000. Cupp, who also serves as the county’s human resources director, will be due a cost-of-living increase. However, she declined a raise. She received a $10,000 pay increase in 2023 and $8,000 adjustment in 2024 following the results of a comparable-wage study the county conducted for its department heads.
Board chairman Ken Malone said Cupp’s salary remains a bargain compared to what similar-sized counties pay their administrators.
Following the meeting, he said a job-performance evaluation was conducted during a closed-session meeting Nov. 12.
“It was the opinion held by all that she has done a fine job with running the daily operations, bringing concerns to the commission on a timely basis and has put together an exceptional staff to assist in making sure we are providing the services to the community that we are charged with providing,” Malone said. “We reviewed her salary with comparable administrators in the area. Though she is currently in the lower end of the scale, she felt that with the effort to help catch her up in her last contract that she would be fine with whatever we settle in for a staff raise during contract negotiations.”
Malone further noted the board appreciates and respects the work ethic Cupp brings to the county and the effort seen on a daily basis.
Cupp, who is St. Joseph County’s third county administrator since the position was created in 1991, will continue to receive 25 vacation days annually, according to her contract.
In other action Tuesday, commissioners:
- appointed Thomas Sikorski to the newly created Materials Management Planning Committee, Elena Meadows to the St. Joseph County Planning Commission, Raul Morales to the Pivotal Board (formerly Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of St. Joseph County), and Joe Bippus and Kathleen Carr as re-appointments to the county’s Building Authority Board.
- granted three requests for an exception to the county’s hiring freeze. The positions are district court judicial secretary/court recorder; juvenile director/attorney referee; and information technology network analyst/technician.
- authorized finance director Angie Steinman to make any budget amendments necessary on or before Dec. 31 to ensure the county’s budget is in compliance with state requirements.
- welcomed Christina Yunker to her first board meeting. Yunker is completing the remaining two months of Dennis Allen’s term. She will begin her four-year commissioner term in January.
