County spending will dramatically increase over the next year, raising the possibility of new taxes

After granting Portage County employees conservative 1.5% wage increases across the board during the pandemic, the county commissioners will now need to accommodate significant increases in payroll expenses they’ve already approved in 2021, in addition to those that have been requested for 2022.

County Prosecutor Vic Vigluicci has requested a 14% average salary increase for his 41 staff members in 2022, totaling $268,000 more than what he spent last year — still far less than the sheriff’s multi-million-dollar spending plan. Treasurer Brad Cromes also requested a 6.5% average raise for his six staff members next year, which will amount to an additional $35,000 per year in total.