Vanderburgh County Council Meeting – July 1, 2026

The Vanderburgh County Council met on July 1, 2026, at 3:03 PM in Room 301 of the Civic Center Complex. The meeting, presided over by President John Montrastelle, included personnel requests, appropriations, transfers, a presentation on the CASA program, and amendments to the salary ordinance. All votes were unanimous (6-0) with Councilmember Nicholas Iaccarino absent. The meeting adjourned at 4:34 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the June 3, 2026 County Council meeting were approved unanimously.
• Personnel Requests (A1, B1, C1): Approved without objection:
  • Assessor: fill vacancy for Transfer Deputy.
  • Area Plan Commission: fill vacancy for Senior Secretary.
  • Legal Aid: retitle and reclassify Senior Legal Secretary to an office manager role (due to upcoming retirement and expanded duties).
• Personnel Requests (D1-3, E1): Approved without objection after discussion:
  • Local Public Health Services: fill vacancies for Phlebotomist, Director of PH Expansion and Accreditation, and Administrative Support Professional II.
  • Health Dept-Evansville Promise Neighborhood Grant and TANF: fill vacancy for Community Health Worker I.
• Personnel Requests (G1, G2): Approved without objection:
  • Prosecutor: fill vacancies for Administration & Outreach Coordinator and Paralegal.

Discussion Items

• LIT Jail Personnel and Appropriations (F1-3): Extended discussion occurred regarding the creation and filling of 22 Confinement Officers, 2 Confinement Officer Sergeants, and 1 Confinement Officer Staff Sergeant. Councilmember James Raben proposed approving only 11 of the 22 Confinement Officer positions (117030 through 117036) and both Sergeants and Staff Sergeant, deferring the remaining 11 positions to a later date. The Sheriff, Noah Robinson, agreed to the phased approach. The appropriation was adjusted: Union Overtime reduced from $100,000 to $80,000; FICA revised to $21,542; PERF revised to $39,985; and the Teamsters Scholarship and Education line item ($325) was eliminated. The total approved appropriation was $353,109.
• Sheriff Appropriation (Garage & Motor): $140,000 approved for the Sheriff's Garage & Motor fund.
• Area Plan Appropriation (Legal Services): $21,000 approved for legal services, primarily to cover the monthly retainer for the remainder of the year and two remaining court cases. Ron London noted that the previous budget ($45,000) was nearly exhausted, partly due to the Bluegrass Solar BZA appeal case. He indicated he would ask the attorney to add a clause to BZA rules to recover legal fees if the county wins future court cases.
• LIT Facilities - Jail Medical: $300,000 approved for inmate medical costs.
• Convention Center Operating - Old National Events Plaza: $88,003 approved as a quarterly installment for EVCBA maintenance.
• Transfers: All transfers as submitted were approved unanimously, including:
  • Sheriff: multiple transfers from sergeant and deputy positions to overtime and shift differential.
  • County Commissioners: $6,000 transferred from Animal Control, Emergency Management, and Purchasing to Legal Advertising.
  • Jail: transfers from various confinement officer positions to civilian overtime, shift differential, and union overtime.
  • Cumulative Bridge: $11,885 from Materials to Union Overtime, FICA, and PERF.
  • Highway: $2,470 from Greaseman to Road Foreman.
  • Riverboat - Commissioners: $20,000 from Transportation Services to Legal Services.
• Vanderburgh County CASA Update: Sarah Reis, Executive Director, and Chief Judge Jillian Kratochvil presented an update. Key points:
  • CASA serves 285 children with 97 active volunteers and 17 staff members on a $1.1 million budget (80% personnel).
  • In 2025, they served 523 kids with nearly 14,000 volunteer hours, reducing the waitlist by 21% (from 911 to 717).
  • Vanderburgh County has the highest per capita rate of child abuse and neglect in Indiana, with 1,011 kids in open CHINS (Child in Need of Services) cases.
  • 80% of cases are due to neglect; 36% of families have repeat cases; average case length is 14 months.
  • 24% of kids are in foster care (up from 19% a year ago), with 250 kids currently in foster care.
  • CASA involvement reduces time in foster care by an average of 8 months and cuts the likelihood of a family having a new case in half.
  • The Indiana General Assembly Legislative Committee has selected CASA for a Summer Study Session on fiscal policy; Vanderburgh County is the only county in the state that did not meet the dollar-for-dollar state match requirement (received $210,000; match was $283,000).
  • Councilmembers discussed the need for additional funding, including potential contributions from the city and school corporation. The requested state match for next year is $226,900.
• Amendments to Salary Ordinance: Approved as printed.

Key Outcomes

• Personnel and Appropriations Approvals: All personnel requests and appropriations were approved unanimously (6-0) with the noted modifications to the LIT Jail request.
• Phased Jail Staffing: The Council approved 11 of 22 requested Confinement Officers, 2 Sergeants, and 1 Staff Sergeant, with the remaining 11 positions deferred to a later date.
• CASA Funding Discussion: No vote was taken on increasing CASA funding, but the Council heard the request for the upcoming budget cycle. The state match request for next year is $226,900.
• Upcoming Meetings: The next Personnel & Finance Committee meeting is scheduled for July 29, 2026, at 3:00 PM.