Bartholomew County Council members gave initial approval to the county’s proposed 2020 budget with little discussion.
Council president Matt Miller described the process that led to the development of the county’s 2020 budget “smooth sailing.”
Discussions were so trouble-free late this summer that a round-table on Aug. 30 and a work session on Sept. 3 were canceled because nothing was left to be worked out, Bartholomew County Auditor Pia O’Connor said.
The seven-member council voted unanimously Tuesday to give the 2020 budget initial approval. Adoption won’t be official until the second and final vote is taken on Oct. 8.
Most council members expected few, if any, problems after being told Aug. 5 there was enough money to pay for all 2020 funding requests without making a single cut.
Council members did cut a requested 29% salary increase for the jail matron and the hiring of an additional full-time health department nurse, as well as a $20,000 per diem for a full-time employee in the assessor’s office.
While the grand total of the county’s 2020 budget is at a record high of $51,595,896, no objections were voiced by audience members Tuesday. All income sources, including state and federal grants, were used to establish the total, O’Connor said.
During last year’s election, some Republican primary challengers attempted to use the council’s 2017 approval of a 40 percent increase in local income taxes as political fodder. However, not one incumbent who supported the increase lost in the May primary.
It was also last year during a heavily-attended council meeting that a majority of residents expressed support for the income tax increase. The consensus expressed that night was that additional revenue was required to get a handle on the opioid crisis, improve public safety and address jail overcrowding.
Next year’s budget include $750,000 for drug addiction treatment efforts, O’Connor said.
The proposed 2020 general fund budget is at $27.5 million — about $1.8 million higher than this year, the auditor says. That extra money includes an additional $900,000 in employee costs, as well as $338,000 for a drug court and jail addiction coordinator.
Three new positions will add $165,000 to the budget: An information technology specialist, a park facility coordinator and a sheriff’s detective.
Besides a 3% across-the-board raise for county employees, the budget also includes a new loyalty pay for those not paid through a matrix system, or who are not full-time merit deputies. Although council member Evelyn Pence expressed her disapproval of loyalty pay, which O’Connor said adds $128,000 to next year’s budget, no other objections were heard.
Extra money is also being set aside to pay for a total of six additional emergency dispatchers. However, a mix of city and county funds, as well as financial assistance from a statewide 911 organization, will be used to fund those new hires.
The remainder of the general fund increase can be attributed to $1 million set aside for necessary improvements to the Bartholomew County Courthouse.
From the local income tax revenue fund earmarked for jail expenses and improvements, the council is receiving $4.9 million — up from $4.3 million this year. An older section of the jail that had been closed for a number of years is being reopened to handle overcrowding, as well as establish in-house addiction treatments. About $500,000 worth of jail improvements have already made.
There is also a county economic development income tax fund that will receive $3.2 million next year. Much of that fund will be used next year for the new Bartholomew County Highway Garage project, as well as for other building improvements and maintenance, O’Connor said.
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The second and final reading of the 2020 budgets for Bartholomew County government will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 8.
Council chambers are located on the fourth floor of the Bartholomew County Governmental Office building, northwest corner of Third and Franklin streets.
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