Councilors take notice of county needs

Regular business

Councilors first heard appropriations at the regular Spencer County council meeting Tuesday, May 16.

Carter volunteer fire district was approved $77,000 for payment on a new fire truck purchased fall 2022. The original cost was $290,000 for the truck but volunteer financial advisor Kenny Shaw requested the additional appropriation to complete the payment, as the original budget was short. As they are a volunteer fire district, county council oversees their funds with Shaw’s advisement, explained Council President Aaron Benton.

Circuit Court Judge Jon Dartt requested $200 for internet video conferencing, citing a bill increase made after they budgeted for the year. Council also approved a $4,000 request for service fees for a computer maintenance upgrade, specifically for the recording system.

Opiate restricted funds were used, first item “success through metering” for $1,400; and $48,000 for schools. The funds are additional to April’s council approval of the funds.

A cornerstone survey netted $18,000. Cash Waggner & Associates out of Evansville surveyed cornerstones around the county, a task mandated by the state to have a certain percentage surveyed per year.

The Health Department Immunization Grant netted $24,200, a decrease from last year. Funds are for immunizations.

Family recovery court coordinator and social worker received appropriations from grant funds and not taxes, Benton explained.

Switching to funds transfers, council started with Community Corrections to transfer grant appropriations from insurance to other areas. Ten thousand dollars went to drug testing, for testing materials; funds for employee perks received a transfer from the overbudgeted health insurance — perks are at $7,000 and should increase to $18,000, Benton said.

Sheriff Office requested a transfer of $1,400 for battery packs.

The Health Department requested a transfer of $1,900 from clerical costs to equipment.

Concluding transfers, council changed to additional fund requests. Assessor Melissa Woolard spoke about a resident who requests an reassessment for the annual assessed value appraisal for her commercial million dollar property. The appraisal fee would cost about $4,500 to $5,000, with $1,500 in the budget. Woolard asked for $4,500 for the individual assessment, as she could require the $1,500 for other assessments.

Judicial Referee Thomas Pulley received approval to pursue a grant for a family and court recovery position. Pulley also received approval for a Spencer County Foundation grant, and Justice Partners Grant to cover a salaried position and drug screening. These grants require no matches.

Prosecutor Megan Bennett has an opening in her department after the departure of her paralegal. Bennett requested approval for a new assistant prosecutor to help with the office caseload instead of a paralegal. With the opening, Bennett argued that now is the right time to bring in a deputy prosecutor by eliminating the $32,000 position and adding an approximate $77,900 position. The new prosecutor would help with criminal division and child support. Though the county will be paying the difference, Bennett pointed out federal government reimburses 66% of the difference for covering child services. After the reimbursement, the county would have to pay $15,000 of the difference for the first year in addition to the $32,000 previously allotted for the paralegal.

The additional prosecutor will help reduce the time between arrest and adjudication, lower the jail population by getting to cases more quickly and lowering pauper attorney fees. Some cases go on for a long time, Bennett said, which the new deputy prosecutor would help expedite cases, some of which are holdovers going back as far as 2020.

Sheriff’s Office was approved for $9,000 for overtime, to be revisited next month.