County budget approved but not unanimously

The Dubois County Council approved the 2013 county budget at the meeting on Monday, but for the first time in many years the vote wasn’t unanimous.

The two newest council members, Shane Lindauer (R) and Barb Mathies (D), did not approve the budget as proposed due to the $1000 pay raise for full-time salary employees and an hourly raise of 50 cents for full-time hourly employees and 25 cents for part-time employees. Both stated they did not vote for the pay raise during the budget process and since the $19,853,447 county budget included the pay raise, they couldn’t approve it.

All county council members were present at the vote and it passed 5 – 2.

Lindauer and Matheis felt the county should not hand out the pay raises across the board. Lindauer had previously stated county employees should be held accountable for their work and be appropriately rewarded with the raises. “I would like to see some kind of metric or standard for the employees’ performances,” said Lindauer. “This is an across the board pay raise for every employee. Until we have a standard I don’t feel I can approve the budget.”

Council president Greg Kendall has stated the council only approves the amount each department has available to award the employees. Most department heads arbitrarily allow all employees the allotted amount approved by the council.

Kendall, a 28-year-veteran of the council, explained he remembered the squabbling among county employees that occurred 30 and 40 years ago. “Esteem was low in the departments,” he said. “We have the best county in the state and I just want to keep it that way. I remember the trouble we had when raises were merit based.”[hr]

Other items from the council meeting:

• Approved proposed 2013 budgets.  Fire Protection: $112,000; Solid Waste: $180,811; Airport: $616,427; and NE Dubois School Corporation; $11,138,464.
• Approved $400,000.00 towards the Kentucky Street improvements project in Holland. The cost of the project, which will better handle heavy truck traffic, is projected to be over $2.5 million. Grants have already been obtained and the county will only be required to put up 10% of the cost, with 10% coming from Holland and 80% from grants.
• Approved an $23,200 to pay the Evansville engineering firm Bernardin Lochmueller and Associates for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) studies.. County Engineer Jason Heile stated a study for ADA accessibility issues with the county properties must be completed to prevent complaints. This is a federal mandate as well. Due to the county receiving federal funds for certain projects they must comply or risk losing those funds.
• Approved funding of $15,327 for community corrections to install six additional beds for female inmates. According to J.R. Weisheit, Director of Community Corrections, this will relieve stress on the jail and save money over the long run. An inmate in the jail costs the county approximately$30 per day but community corrections is funded through grants, not county taxes.
• Approved a request from Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Crouse to advertise the appropriation of $5000 from the forfeiture account for outfitting a police car for a new narcotics officer at the sheriff’s department. The money will purchase a removable audio and video recording system for the vehicle. The account is funded through money seized from drug-related crimes and can only be used for law enforcement equipment purchases.