2027 County Budget Hearings (Day 2) – August 13, 2026

The Vanderburgh County Council convened Day 2 of the 2027 budget hearings on August 13, 2026, at 9:03 a.m. With a full quorum present, the council reviewed individual department budget requests, heard from department heads and elected officials, and received an overview of fiscal challenges ahead. Auditor Teresa Bassemier highlighted a projected $5 million revenue loss, rising insurance costs, and a requested budget of $153 million, which is $13.1 million higher than the current year's budget of $138,754,000. The council recessed until September 2, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. for a budget cut meeting.

Consent Calendar

• None specified.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during this session.

Discussion Items

• Auditor's Remarks: Auditor Teresa Bassemier thanked departments for keeping budgets flat, but noted new expenses (jail expansion, coroner's office) and a possible $5 million revenue loss. She reported the 2027 budget request is $13.1 million more than the current year, requiring significant cuts.
• Clerk (Dottie) : Budget is flat with a 1% increase; election budget decreased due to city election (fewer vote centers). Clerk's dues increased from $450 to $479 (budgeted $500). Clerk's office transition to files is about one-third complete; shelving ordered, with completion expected by December 31.
• Voter Registration (James Powell) : Budget is down 4%; office is holding steady with the previous year's budget.
• Recorder (Debbie Stucky, Chief Deputy Recorder) : Office is self-sustaining via fees. Perpetuation fund has spent about $273,000 year-to-date to cover budget shortfalls. The enhanced access fund increased 180% due to vendor price increases; the contract was moved from the perpetuation fund to the enhanced access fund to preserve the perpetuation fund for salaries. Revenue runs about $9,000/month; expenditures about $3,400/month.
• Treasurer (Brian Girth) : Budget is flat; zeroed out extra help line; two step increases for employees. Treasurer noted challenges with veterans' assessment removal (potential additional $1 million circuit breaker loss), business personal property tax issues, and the need for caution. Interest earnings were $6 million last year, projected $5 million this year; the office has pulled $10 million from other accounts. American Rescue Plan funds ($17 million) remain parked in another fund earning interest. Treasurer cautioned about the 2027 budget due to these uncertainties.
• Surveyor (Linda Freeman) : Budget is flat (1% increase for pay/insurance); all line items flat.
• Sheriff : Requesting significant staffing increases for the new jail expansion (172 additional beds). Data management up 10%; motor vehicle up 20% (extra $50,000) due to aging fleet (vehicles with 200,000+ miles). Out-of-county inmate housing projected down 93% due to new jail. The LIT public safety budget is up 61% driven by insurance, new jail, and staffing. The opioid restricted fund request includes an $800,000 increase for Southwestern Behavioral Health services (mental health/substance abuse treatment) in the jail. Sheriff noted 65% of inmates have mental health or substance abuse issues; recidivism around 50%. Hiring: 120 funded correctional officer positions, 100 filled, 20 vacancies; 15 more requested. Deputy recruitment is a challenge. The new jail will include 11 mental health suites, a 32-bed substance use offender unit, and a 32-bed veterans support unit.
• Superior Court (Judge) : Budget down 1% due to reorganization (probation moved to Circuit Court). Part-time school liaison officer is employed by the court (780 hours). Juvenile probation supplemental fund shows a 100% increase because State Board of Accounts now requires separate line item (same amount, different fund).
• Community Corrections (James Aiken, Director) : User fee account down 1%; one grant lost $300,000, placeholder placed in LIT budget (showing a 56% increase for that line, but it's a placeholder). Treatment court case manager salary increase is not a raise; half of salary was previously paid by another grant that was lost, now fully paid out of user fees.
• Litter Cleanup Program : Funded through Solid Waste; council member praised the program's success (waste removal and recycling, with Republic donating dumpster service).
• Community Corrections (Megan) : Serves about 90 participants per year. Drug and alcohol treatment services (DATS) track created in 2018; since 2024, this track has increased by 67%. Office serves misdemeanor treatment-focused cases, unlike the felony-level drug treatment court.
• Circuit Court (Judge Ryan Hatfield) : Requested a 20% increase, but that is due to the probation merger (5 misdemeanor staff moved from Superior Court). Fund 2100 down 7.5% due to reorganization. Pages 90-91 appear as 100% increases but are due to State Board fund number changes. Judge discussed court expansion (from 1.5 to 3 courtrooms) and ability to try two jury trials simultaneously; processing over 100 people per day. He invited council to observe the 1 p.m. docket for new charges; noted 90% of defendants requesting public defenders have no home, vehicle, checking, or savings accounts.
• Public Defender (Steve) : Noted two errors in budget request: travel/mileage should be $3,500 (not $0); communications should be $2,340 (not $350). Both are flat from last year. Council noted a potential duplicate reimbursement from the State Commission for rent, which will need review.
• Prosecutor (Diana Moers) : Presented a major request for 7 additional deputy prosecutors, costing $850,000, to address a staffing crisis. Cited a Wagner, Irwin, and Shiels study showing Vanderburgh County is #1 in Indiana (out of 91 prosecutorial counties) for lack of prosecutors—current 20 attorney positions versus an actual need of 57 (a 37-prosecutor deficit). The office has an average caseload of well over 100 felonies per attorney, sometimes approaching 300. The request is also justified as a cost-saving measure: the county spends $3.5 million per year on jail overflow (about 100 inmates), and additional prosecutors would move cases faster, reducing overflow. Prosecutor noted over half of the office's budget is grant-funded; office has kept budget flat and brought in an additional $1.5 million in grants this year. Council expressed support for the request, with members noting the data-driven approach and the potential for savings. Discussion about using opioid restricted funds for this purpose would require rewriting the current ordinance (which restricts those funds to the sheriff).
• Local Emergency Plan Commission : Page 59; no one attended; the part-time coordinator (Derek Oehning) has another full-time job.
• Drug-Free Communities (Jeff Gregory, Executive Director of Substance Abuse Council) : Budget down 9% ($2,500 decrease in supplies). Budget is funded from court fees (countermeasure, interdiction fees) deposited by the state; not general fund. Fees have been declining; office raises its own money for shortfalls.
• County Council Budget: Includes 15% increase for insurance (estimate; actual will likely be lower); court technology budget decreased about 10% after final lease payments; contractual computer services increased due to pending vendor selection (may be partially funded from CCD fund).
• Auditor's Budget: Real estate clerk line shows 100% increase because the position is being moved from the platbook fund (which cannot support it) back to the general fund. Other lines flat. Discussion about the jail bond: old jail bond (paid off January 1, 2028) has three remaining payments; the jail expansion investments (~$30 million borrowed) have been earning interest; council requested copies of all statements to verify balances and interest earned.

Key Outcomes

• The council recessed until September 2, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. (following the regular County Council meeting at 3:00 p.m.) to begin the budget cut process.
• 31 department heads presented over two days, covering 81 budget lines (with some lines containing sub-budgets).
• The prosecutor's 7-new-position request was noted as a separate attachment, not in the line item budget; the council acknowledged the need to determine funding sources, with potential options including the opioid restricted fund (which would require amending the commissioners' ordinance) or other sources.
• The council requested that the auditor obtain copies of all investment statements related to the jail expansion funds (about $30 million) to verify balances and interest earned.
• The budget cut meeting is scheduled for September 2, 2026.