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FINAL BUDGET HEARING SEPTEMBER 5, 2001 The Vanderburgh County Council met in session this 5th day of September, 2001 in room 301 of the Civic Center Complex. The meeting was officially opened by President Ed Bassemier at 12:09 p.m. President Bassemier: Sheriff, you want to open the meeting please? Brad Ellsworth: Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, the Vanderburgh County Council is now in session pursuant to adjournment. President Bassemier: Thank you, sir.
I want to welcome everyone to the September 5th, 2001 final
2002 budget hearing. Roll call please.
President Bassemier: Would everyone please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? (Pledge of Allegiance was given)
President Bassemier: I need a motion for approval of budget minutes for August 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 2001. Can I have a motion please? Councilmember Wortman: Yes, sir. I so approve. President Bassemier: Do I have a second? Councilmember Wortman: Second. President Bassemier: Any discussion? Roll call vote please. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Tornatta? Councilmember Tornatta: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Wortman? Councilmember Wortman: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben? Councilmember Raben: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Winnecke? Councilmember Winnecke: Yes. Teri Lukeman: President Bassemier? President Bassemier: Yes. (Motion unanimously approved 6-0) President Bassemier: As you know,
this is the final budget hearing and the purpose is to complete adoption
of our budget and establish the salaries and all employees' benefits and
also to recommend to the state what would be the proposed tax rate. Today
the chair will only recognize Councilmembers until after the Finance Chairman
has completed his duties. At this time I am going to ask Councilman Raben,
the Finance Chairman, to begin with the salary ordinance. Mr. Raben.
Councilmember Raben: Okay, Mr. President, thank you. Let me start first with setting in some accounts and these would be on page 5 in your salary ordinance. First will be 1050-207 in the amount of $22,130; 1050-208 $22,130; 1050-209 $26,752; 1050-210 $29,266; 1050-215 $27,801; 1050-216 $24,328; 1050-217 $23,201; 1050-218 $24,328; 1050-231 $23,201; 1050-232 $22,130; 1051-338, that's 1051-338 $25,511. Then 105.Q, Investigative Transcript $27- Suzanne Crouch: What page? Councilmember Raben: I'm not looking at the actual book. The correct figure is $27,904. Teri Lukeman: What line item? Councilmember Raben: That's 105.Q. Sounds like a radio station, don't it? It's $27,904. And the three percent employee PERF to be paid by Vanderburgh County and that is subject to the County Commissioner's approval of the union contract effective January 1, 2002. All other county employees and including the Airport Authority receive a three percent wage increase in 2002. And I move that the Council accept the 2002 proposed Salary Ordinance with corrections and changes as printed with the following additional corrections. I'm going to start on page 10 of 26 under Voters Registration, and it's line, it's the first one, 1110. That should read C. Carrier; 1120 A. Bushrod. Then let's turn to page 12 of 26, at the top, it's account 1990, zero. Page 14 of 26, account 1550, that's P. Burress, and the amount is $28,215. Then page 15 of 26 - is everybody still following? Okay. Account 1340 Bailiff, the correct figure is $28,636; 1370 Bailiff is $31,815; account 1480 Intake Probation Officer $37,330; 1770 Small Claims Reporter $35,526; 1801 Small Claims Reporter $31,700. Then we will turn to page 17 of 26, and again, I'm simply going to - if you go to where it says section 105S, that should be deleted. If we can, let's go back. There is a typo and we do want to be clear on our actions today. But on page 14 of 26 I read 1550. That should read 1460. Should read 1460. (Discussion was halted briefly to verify account number) Councilmember Raben: Alright, Mr. President, we're still holding at 1460. Okay, now let's go back to page 17, 105.S should be deleted, 105.Q, under Sheriff Narcotics Control Grant, Investigative Transcript, which is a COMOT VI Step 3, should read D. Crane in the amount of $27,904. And just above that on the same page, 1130 should read $15,946. Now page 18 under County Highway, account 1001 Supervisor, should read R. Kissinger $41,000; then 1002 Assistant Supervisor $37,500; 1003 Road Crew Foreman, 1004 Road Crew Foreman, 1005 Road Crew Foreman, all in the amount of $36,000. Now page 19 of 26 under Cum Bridge, account 1130 Superintendent should read $36,000. Then on page 23 of 26 under Misdemeanor Offender, account 1110 which is a COMOT Union V Step 1, $24,201; 1120 COMOT V Step 2, $25,375. Just below that under Jail Misdemeanor Housing, you have account 1360 and 1370, those are both Detention Officers at a rate of $28,363- Councilmember Wortman: 936. Councilmember Raben: - yes, $28,936. With that, Mr. President, I'll move that all FICA and PERF to be adjusted accordingly. And I make that in the form of a motion. Councilmember Wortman: Second. President Bassemier: I have a second by Mr. Winnecke. Any discussion? Roll call vote please. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Tornatta? Councilmember Tornatta: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Wortman? Councilmember Wortman: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben? Councilmember Raben: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Winnecke? Councilmember Winnecke: Yes. Teri Lukeman: President Bassemier? President Bassemier: Yes. (Motion unanimously approved 6-0) President Bassemier: Okay, back to Mr. Raben. Councilmember Raben: Okay, Mr. President, I'll move that Exhibit A through H be approved as listed in the 2002 Salary Ordinance. Councilmember Wortman: Second. President Bassemier: Second by Mr. Wortman. Any discussion? Roll call vote please. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Tornatta? Councilmember Tornatta: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Wortman? Councilmember Wortman: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben? Councilmember Raben: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Winnecke? Councilmember Winnecke: Yes. Teri Lukeman: President Bassemier? President Bassemier: Yes. It passes. (Motion unanimously approved 6-0)
ELECTION OFFICE President Bassemier: Mr. Raben. Councilmember Raben: Okay, Mr. President, now for our big green book. I'm going to start at page 70, which is the Election Office. If I could ever find my ink pen I'd sure feel better about this. I found it. I need it as a pointer. Okay, page 70, account 1160 should read $39,250; 1170 $49,000; 1180 $65,300; 2280 $15,450; page 71, account 3410 Printing $65,775. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Councilmember Raben: Then let's turn to page 83, account 1990, zero. AUDITOR/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Now turn to page 154. Just for clarification, I'm sure most everyone realizes what's going to happen through these. But if you recall, we took certain accounts out of the General Fund budget and moved them into Reassessment, so we're going to insert those. This doesn't have anything to do with the conversation that took place last Wednesday, you know, that we'll have to adjust as far as their additional monies that they're going to need. So 154, insert account - excuse me - we don't want to insert that. It's under account 1020-3371 Computer Hardware $12,800; 1020-4220 $20,000. COUNTY ASSESSOR/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Page 155, 1090-1990 Extra Help $17,000; 1090-2600 $4,000; 1090-3130 $3,000; 1090-3310 $15,000; 1090-3370 $10,000; 1090-3371 $2,000; 1090-3372 $2,000; page 156, 1090-4210 zero; 1090-4220 $10,000. PROPERTY TAX BOARD OF APPEAL/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Let's go to page 157, insert 1091-1180 Per Diem $2,800; 1091-1900 FICA at $521; 1091-1990 Extra Help $4,000; then 1091-3130, it's another one we're going to insert, 1091-3130 Travel, $1,000;1091-3310 Training $10,000; 1091-3370 $6,000; 1091-3530 $14,000. ARMSTRONG ASSESSOR/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Page 158, 1100-1110 zero; 1100-1990 $13,600; 1100-2600 $1,500; 1100-3130 $750. CENTER ASSESSOR/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Now page 160, 1110-1990 $5,000; 1110-2600 $4,500; 1110-3130 $2,000; 1110-3310 $4,000. GERMAN ASSESSOR/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Page 162, 1120-1110 zero; 1120-2600 in the middle, 1120-2600 $2,350; 1120-3130 $1,400. KNIGHT ASSESSOR/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Page 164, 1130-1110 zero; 1130-2600 $5,600; 1130-3130 $4,000; 1130-3310 $3,000. Page 165 at the bottom, 1130-4220 $1,500. PERRY ASSESSOR/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Page 166, 1140-1110 zero; 1140-2600 $3,000; 1140-3130 $2,300; 1140-3310 $1,000. PIGEON ASSESSOR/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Page 168. We're getting close here. At the top, 1150-1110 zero; 1150-1990 $65,000; 1150-2600 $7,000; 1150-3130 $5,500; 1150-3310 $5,000; 1150-3370 $16,000. 169, at the top, 1150-3372 $8,000. Then we need to insert 1150-4220 Office Machines $1,000. SCOTT ASSESSOR/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Page 170, 1160-1110 zero; 1160-1990 $17,100; 1160-2600 $4,000; 1160-3130 $3,100; at the bottom, 1160-3371 $15,900. Then page 171, we need to insert 1160-4220 Office Machines $1,000. UNION ASSESSOR/REASSESSMENT Councilmember Raben: Page 172, 1170-2600 $300; then we need to insert 1170-3130 Travel/Mileage $300; 1170-3310 Training $700; 1170-3370 $500. And, Mr. President, this motion - let me just do one other thing, on all other Reassessment lines, I move that they are to be set in at zero and I move that in all other budgets, the 2000, 3000 and 4000 accounts be adopted as previously approved by this body. And then I also need to list all of the different offices and departments and again, with that motion that all other Assessor/Reassessment budgets be set in at zero with the exception of the lines that I've just read. 2000, 3000 & 4,000 ACCOUNTS IN ALL OTHER BUDGETS All other 2000, 3000 and 4000 accounts in all other budgets as previously adopted for the following, and I'm going to list them all: 911 Emergency Service, Airport Authority, Area Plan Commission, Armstrong Assessor, Armstrong Assessor/Reassessment, County Assessor, Assessor/Reassessment, Auditor, Auditor/Reassessment, Bond Issue, Burdette Park, Center Assessor, Center Assessor/Reassessment, Circuit Court, Circuit Court Supplemental Adult Probation, Clerk, Clerk IV-D, Commissioners, Commissioners/CCD, Convention Center Operating Fund, Convention & Visitors Center, Cooperative Extension, County Coroner, County Council, Cum Bridge, Draining Board, Drug & Alcohol Deferral, Election Office, Family & Children, German Assessor, German Assessor/Reassessment, Health Department, The Highway Department, Jail, Knight Assessor, Knight Assessor/Reassessment, Legal Aid, Legal Aid/United Way, Levee Distribution Tax, Local Drug Free Community, Local Emergency Planning Committee, Local Roads & Streets, Perry Assessor, Perry Assessor Reassessment, Pigeon Assessor, Pigeon Assessor/Reassessment, Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeal, Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeal/Reassessment, Prosecutor, Prosecutor IV-D, Prosecutor Check Recovery, Prosecutor Drug Law Enforcement, Prosecutor Victims/Witness Assistance Program, Prosecutor Stop Domestic Violence, Prosecutor Adult Protective Services, Prosecutor Pre-Trial Diversion, Public Defender Commission, Recorder, Riverboat, Sales Disclosure Fees, Scott Assessor, Scott Assessor/Reassessment, Sheriff, Sheriff/Community Corrections, Sheriff/Misdemeanor Housing, Sheriff/Misdemeanor Offender, Superior Court, Superior Court/Supplemental Adult Probation, Superintendent of County Buildings, Surveyor, Surveyor/Maps, Surveyor Corner Perpetuation, The Centre, Tourism Capital Improvement, County Treasurer, Union Assessor, Union Assessor/Reassessment, Veterans Administration, Voters Registration, Weights & Measures. Mr. President, I make that in the form of a motion. Councilmember Hoy: Second. President Bassemier: Mr. Hoy. Any discussion? Roll call vote please. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Tornatta? Councilmember Tornatta: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Wortman? Councilmember Wortman: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben? Councilmember Raben: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Winnecke? Councilmember Winnecke: Yes. Teri Lukeman: President Bassemier? President Bassemier: Yes. (Motion unanimously approved 6-0) President Bassemier: Mr. Raben?
Councilmember Raben: Okay, Mr. President, all Councilmen were given insurance data for 2002 and I'm going to move that the Council approve this 2002 insurance budget list. Councilmember Wortman: Second. President Bassemier: I have a second from Mr. Wortman. Any discussion? Roll call vote please. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Tornatta? Councilmember Tornatta: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Wortman? Councilmember Wortman: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben? Councilmember Raben: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Winnecke? Councilmember Winnecke: Yes. Teri Lukeman: President Bassemier? President Bassemier: Yes. That passes. (Motion unanimously approved 6-0) President Bassemier: Mr. Raben? Councilmember Raben: Mr. President, have we voted on the last, the insurance data? President Bassemier: Yes, it passed. CONVENTION & VISITORS (Continued on page 10) Councilmember Raben: No, I don't need to reopen that, but I am going to, just for clarification, go to page 186, Convention & Visitors Commission. At the top, 1110-3570 should be set in at $30,000. Along with that, 1170-3570 $40,000; the rest of this budget is part of the prior motion including the FICA & PERF that I earlier had stated will be adjusted accordingly. Mr. President, at this time I'll make that in the form of a motion. Councilmember Wortman: Second. President Bassemier: Second Mr. Wortman. Any discussion? Roll call vote please. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Tornatta? Councilmember Tornatta: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Wortman? Councilmember Wortman: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben? Councilmember Raben: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Winnecke? Councilmember Winnecke: Yes. Teri Lukeman: President Bassemier? President Bassemier: Yes. (Motion unanimously approved 6-0)
Councilmember Raben: Okay, Mr. President, next I'm going to move that the County Council set the county tax rate as deemed appropriate by the Indiana State Tax Commissioners following their review of our budget. And I'd like to make that in the form of a motion. Councilmember Wortman: Second. President Bassemier: I have a second Mr. Wortman. Any discussion? Roll call vote please. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Tornatta? Councilmember Tornatta: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Wortman? Councilmember Wortman: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben? Councilmember Raben: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Winnecke? Councilmember Winnecke: Yes. Teri Lukeman: President Bassemier? President Bassemier: Yes. (Motion unanimously approved 6-0)
Councilmember Raben: Mr. President, I'll move that we set the Cum Bridge tax rate at $.15 per $100 assessed valuation and I make that in the form of a motion. Councilmember Wortman: Second. President Bassemier: I have a second from Mr. Wortman. Any discussion? Roll call vote please. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Tornatta? Councilmember Tornatta: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Wortman? Councilmember Wortman: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben? Councilmember Raben: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Winnecke? Councilmember Winnecke: Yes. Teri Lukeman: President Bassemier? President Bassemier: Yes. (Motion unanimously approved 6-0)
CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU (Continued from page 8) Councilmember Raben: Mr. President, there was a question as to when we went back in and opened up 186. How did everyone understand my motion on 1110-3570? Suzanne Crouch: I have it at $30,000. Councilmember Raben: I made the motion at 70, is there - President Bassemier: No, I was going to question that, too. You made it at 30. Councilmember Hoy: It should be at 70. Suzanne Crouch: You can just correct it. Councilmember Raben: Okay, Mr. President, I'd like to move that we reopen page 186. Councilmember Hoy: Second. President Bassemier: Okay. Got a second to open it. Okay, any discussion? Councilmember Wortman: What page? President Bassemier: That's page 186, Convention & Visitors Department. Roll call vote please. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Tornatta? Councilmember Tornatta: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Wortman? Councilmember Wortman: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben? Councilmember Raben: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Winnecke? Councilmember Winnecke: Yes. Teri Lukeman: President Bassemier? President Bassemier: Yes. (Motion unanimously approved 6-0) Councilmember Raben: Okay, Mr. President, account 1110-3570 $70,000, and I make that in the form of a motion. President Bassemier: Do I have a second? Councilmember Wortman: Second. President Bassemier: Mr. Wortman second. Any discussion on that? Roll call vote please. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Tornatta? Councilmember Tornatta: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Wortman? Councilmember Wortman: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben? Councilmember Raben: Yes. Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Winnecke? Councilmember Winnecke: Yes. Teri Lukeman: President Bassemier? President Bassemier: Yes. (Motion unanimously approved 6-0) President Bassemier: Okay, Mr. Raben, you got anything else you'd like to add? Councilmember Raben: Well, Mr. President, I will not be present at our 3:30 meeting but I would like to ask the Councilmembers to - well, if everyone remembers, we had asked Computer Services to attend our meeting with regards to the discussion we had last week on the County Assessor's ProVal software that they're going to need to handle the Reassessment. So with that, I would just like to make sure that we ask the folks from Computer Services two or three things that I think are of great importance. Do you want me to stop? Teri Lukeman: Please. (Tape changed) Councilmember Raben: - the equipment. And is our software package that we're looking at, is all of it going to be compatible with GIS, because we certainly have invested enough there that we don't need to buy equipment that will not intermingle with the GIS program. And the other, Mr. President, would be need to address with them, it's my understanding that they are to provide a service to maintain our system and some of the Assessors last week had expressed that they have been told by Computer Services that they will not maintain or work on equipment that does not come through them. I don't, it's my understanding that that's not what they're hired to do and I think we need to address that with them and I think we've got every right or this county has every right to go out and look for our best deal on the equipment and they should work with us however we need them to do because, again, that's what they're hired to do and it sounds to me as if there's another interest there that I don't think is part of their deal. And that's all I had to offer for this afternoon's meeting. Let me address our budget cuts. With the cuts that we've made, the total cuts should come to $10,462,633. $10,462,633. And of course, nothing is ever definite until the state signs off on it, but with this I would certainly hope that the tax rate would remain the same or go down slightly. So I'd like to thank everybody and I think everybody's done a great job and I'm glad it's over with. President Bassemier: I'd like to echo that, too. Mr. Hoy? Councilmember Hoy: Thank you, Mr. President. I have three brief comments. First of all, I laid a communication on your desks from the Public Defender. As you know, I'm the liaison to that department. We were concerned about how much money we were going to get back and we hope to see this check and when it comes, I'd like to know, Madam Auditor, okay? But he was very wise in waiting to submit that. It looks like we're going to get $256,367.81 back from the state. That's good news because we were wondering just how much of that money was going to be available. Share that with you. On a negative note, I want to go on record as regards the Convention & Visitors Bureau. I have researched this and I wasn't real pleased that I was the only Councilman named in this memo, nor do I agree with their legal counsel which says we virtually have no control. Going back in our budget minutes, back to 1998, we were promised that major changes would not be made. The legal counsel says, well, that is not binding on them, and we have a wage going up to $70,000. I voted yes on that wage because I think that we could have a legal problem if we did not. However, I feel as a Councilman, we're in the same bind we were in a few years ago with a department that moved to Darmstadt without permission with high rent and we got caught in a bind on that. I felt that this appointment should not have been announced until after at least today or until after at least the state approved our budget. I voted yes because I don't want to get into a contract dispute. Secondly, I do not want to be negative towards the new person coming in. It may be a very fine person, but I do believe that this should have been done in a different order. The other comment that I have to make, in the communication from the Convention & Visitor's Bureau, it was said they are just like the Airport Board. They are not. But secondly, back in 1997, I have the minutes here where we made a change in the Airport Board's budget during budget hearings. We do have control over these budgets. The final remark I would make is from the Indiana Code which says thusly, "The commission," that's the Convention & Visitor's Bureau, "shall submit the budget to the County Council for its review and approval. No expenditure shall be made," shall be made, and that's the strongest legal word you can have. I believe counsel would agree with that. Shall is very strong. "It is pursuant to an appropriation made by the County Council in a manner provided by law and to the expenditures payable from the Tourism Capital Development Fund. The specific project for which the expenditure will be made has been a) recommended to the County Council by the Commission; and b) approved by the County Council." And my point simply is to enforce my feeling that this body still has control over that budget. And I want that in the public record and to express my unhappiness at the way the procedure took place. Moving from that, since my colleague, Mr. Sutton, who is our senior minority member, since he is not here, as the second senior member of the minority, I would like to express gratitude to everyone on this Council, particularly to the President and to the Finance Chairman. I cannot recall -- this is my ninth budget -- I cannot recall a year, any year that included all of us so well in this process. I think we've done very well and I think this body should be proud of itself and we probably have demonstrated that of all the bodies in this Council, we deliberate better than anybody else. Thank you. President Bassemier: Thank you, Mr. Hoy. And I want to echo the same thing, and Mr. Raben and everybody. Mr. Wortman, you got something you'd like to say? Councilmember Wortman: I've always got something to say. Yeah. I want to thank everybody, Mr. Hoy, and especially Jim Raben. He spent a lot of time here and he did real well. I don't want to brag at him too much because he's liable to want a raise and we don't want that to be out of line, see. But no, he did real good, and then Lloyd and then you, Mr. President, Mr. Bassemier, and Troy, and then, of course, Mr. Sutton, especially Sandie here, too. I don't know what we'd do without her. Councilmember Hoy: Yes. Councilmember Wortman: In plain words. Yeah. Councilmember Raben: Sarah, too. We leave that out too often. Councilmember Wortman: She's been a pretty good girl. Councilmember Raben: But you're right. Thank you, Sandie and Sarah. Councilmember Hoy: Well, she does live near Darmstadt, I believe. That probably has an effect. Councilmember Wortman: Yeah, that makes (inaudible). President Bassemier: Everybody needs to stick around to sign the Salary Ordinance, so do I have a motion to adjourn? Councilmember Hoy: So moved. Councilmember Winnecke: Second. President Bassemier: Everybody in favor say aye. (All Councilmembers present voted aye) President Bassemier: Any opposed? We're adjourned. (Meeting adjourned at 12:55 p.m.) VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL _____________________________
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Recorded and transcribed by Teri Lukeman.  |