[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,73,85,97],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":55,"_67":68,"_69":55,"_70":71,"_72":71},"mediaId",6462024,"mediaKeyId","5812285-abaf30cabb10115406b8921452909b22","parentId",5812285,"title","New EMS director outlines staffing needs, ambulance replacement plans and community paramedic funding","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",9780000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5812285-abaf30cabb10115406b8921452909b22&start=9780&end=9780","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5812285-abaf30cabb10115406b8921452909b22/thumbnail_9780000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6462024/Greene-County/Indiana/New-EMS-director-outlines-staffing-needs-ambulance-replacement-plans-and-community-paramedic-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462024-b015b7fec795c931ecc380245a73155c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775166184&Signature=RW4rdOwQw6El4rA~dkhnEOu~hSdepvn5lkzDFZoCWruzGfdpN9a7BWl7Y3Dtg6vkXbBcvJoVW5ZZbk1E6a7dS~kSgDN1d8IWrAqWDBfGOhMiicKuKsSRa88chdWnCglksA9LJvNL7X3aYQ460anHFSpbooCIP-5XZGHJjIVokG-tcnsScCgxEAHYKtvAMVXFlZ87vn15-w4qZXru2dNZnAnoynWTCZWy~aDtLRWjq6DM4tzLcCKXsg34P7PJ2QgjIcUu3fxol53gz8sXi6I3OBdLbwT7bABgmjhemEVlx0UYfC0AanqLcNZsScw6lZGjeOfHMOzeaI0HERM-B7ZhuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Greene County, Indiana","date","2025-08-27T18:53:33Z","article","David Sanchez, the county's EMS director, appeared at the council's budget hearing and described staffing, vehicle replacement and program-funding needs for the coming year. He told council he is working to bring on PRN staff and that the agency remains short of its full staffing complement.

Ambulance replacement and procurement was a key point: the director said vehicle lead times and price inflation have pushed replacement costs higher, and the department has budgeted for a replacement vehicle this year while acknowledging that delivery times remain long. Councilors discussed recent experience acquiring a vehicle and noted the market remains tight; the EMS director told the council that a typical new ambulance request now is in the high hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Community paramedic program: The council discussed a community paramedic role that has been funded by a grant through 2025 (and may run into 2026 depending on grant terms). The program provides in-home and community-based care to reduce unnecessary transports and downstream hospitalizations. Councilors agreed to defer decisions about permanent local funding for the community paramedic position until they see final budget totals.

Council vote: The council approved the EMS budget for the 2025 fiscal year at the hearing with raises removed and asked EMS and finance staff to return with updated totals reflecting the removal of the 2.7% COLA and the fringe adjustments.

Why it matters: Staffing and ambulance availability directly affect emergency response capacity and transport times. The community paramedic program also affects EMS workload and county healthcare costs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2026 Budget Hearing Day 2","oneSentenceSummary","New EMS director summarized staffing gaps, an ongoing effort to hire PRN personnel and the need to replace an ambulance; council approved an EMS budget without the rescinded 2.7% raise and asked staff to return with details on grant-funded community paramedic positions.","taxTitle","taxId",64749,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":74,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":75,"_41":76,"_43":77,"_45":78,"_46":79,"_48":80,"_50":81,"_52":82,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":83,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":84,"_66":55,"_67":68,"_69":55,"_70":71,"_72":71},6462028,"Greene County health director warns state funding cuts will force program changes; asks council to preserve core staff",1615,280000,1895000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5812285-abaf30cabb10115406b8921452909b22&start=280&end=1895","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5812285-abaf30cabb10115406b8921452909b22/thumbnail_280000.jpg","/articles/6462028/Greene-County/Indiana/Greene-County-health-director-warns-state-funding-cuts-will-force-program-changes-asks-council-to-preserve-core-staff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462028-341cb257d583185399e3c976cb9fe02d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775166184&Signature=TMjfDTPpOF9YHKh4UoKAhOuo77oPxt7SzHkfrlKQyU2zXHg-xfTpIWF1Hz~I6P5ABQq3a0kVnzGYQfSQrFneHnZ-C42Rt3fjQPp~-S36bmW55cSwppdmxaePAQWTE7lHHh7N4QYoXXEFYcVWhFceDlbiq2VI5fOvoeOeUBO8LNdm6jShmfQNe4Jsl29~0RRjl6vrOZe62xFZnJ23gkqk81qPmHV5~0cKd994P0UZfbaOdK-2tvd0FnLK6w6VHuoQt4DMUo3nrpVGnWIAhF5fYhsknEVJABUkuujuG-Z01-dqxUGkmfWVhkdoPrZNUpHQi78EQwTf8BSy4SPZVzLxUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sherry (Health Department director) told the Greene County Council that state-level reductions to HealthForce/Health Indiana funding have removed roughly two-thirds of a funding stream the department had used to seed prevention programs and hire additional staff. She said the department used state funding and grants to expand services — from community nutrition classes to increased immunization outreach — and that the cuts require the county to decide whether to sustain those positions locally.

\"Through the Health Indiana funding ... I just wanna say that, you know, these programs are helping keep people out of the hospital,\" Sherry told the council, describing programs such as community nutrition and school-based health partnerships. Laurie Smith Strong, chair of the health board, and Shane Smith, CEO of a local economic/engineering partner, spoke in support of maintaining staffing and programs.

The health director presented a budget that shows personnel as the bulk of the department's spending and noted that while state grant money had funded many program positions, those awards can end. \"We have to get everybody back so she can keep that up,\" a board member said. Councilors asked the health director to provide clear reconciliation of grant-funded lines, the local levy and how the department will sustain core services if the state grant stream continues at a lower level.

Why it matters: The health department said its prevention programs reduce downstream costs — fewer hospitalizations, reduced EMS calls and improved community health — but the programs rely on a mix of state grants and local levy dollars. A significant drop in state funding means the county must choose whether to replace reduced grant funds with local levy dollars or scale back services.

Council action: Councilors approved the health department's budget motions at the hearing with the 2.7% raise removed and asked finance staff to reconcile all grant and levy lines and return with a clear plan for sustaining services.

What to watch: The council asked for an updated fund reconciliation and asked health department staff to identify which positions are sustained by grant funding versus local levy and which program services could be scaled if local support is not increased.","The Greene County Health Department said a reduction in state funding reallocated through HealthForce/Health Indiana will force the department to rely on local funds to sustain programs. The health director and board urged commissioners to preserve staffing to maintain community programs launched with grant support.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_46":91,"_48":92,"_50":93,"_52":94,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":95,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":96,"_66":55,"_67":68,"_69":55,"_70":71,"_72":71},6462033,"Sheriff asks Greene County Council to raise courthouse security pay, adds request for two jailers and transport officer; 911 fund deficit flagged",1973,667000,2640000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5812285-abaf30cabb10115406b8921452909b22&start=667&end=2640","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5812285-abaf30cabb10115406b8921452909b22/thumbnail_667000.jpg","/articles/6462033/Greene-County/Indiana/Sheriff-asks-Greene-County-Council-to-raise-courthouse-security-pay-adds-request-for-two-jailers-and-transport-officer-911-fund-deficit-flagged","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462033-30c141afd3dcccbb6a5ef64791032b4e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775166184&Signature=HtL7jhUmSDjRsIJICtcPWD~4ocEa~UfboQ-qKvx34dIQsY2wUNFrJsV7DGtL4WtjYXdX8FSyARglVp-i29QnLLcwSuUxdTQhPcs3pgz24zyM-3k3QGLzyOrb6QylqpDT3bgVpzaswd~ccoZwH9ZzfAj-Drh3GNBaRcwceC6OaTAK1CBrnl85a3USSf1W380cgEyFzl4dZBHdCkb4GkkHf2Qm7sXtnWX8JQPK6uyRggOV7oWtZ2urlnyLsi4nyUJfrwCePA53kdY~DBr0PcmsB56I~zZ3sQW-mzKQ80JKQkWKJVZPBf41RWJMXOMreVkbtTwNT7Xm0x1l43vuILcWug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Greene County sheriff told the county council Wednesday that courthouse security staff need pay parity with front-office employees and asked the council to consider adding two jailer positions and a transport officer to the sheriff's budgets.

Sheriff (name not specified) told the council that courthouse security handles weapons and volatile situations and that keeping experienced staff is getting more difficult in the current labor market. \"If something really bad happened here, he's the guy you want coming up,\" the sheriff said of his security staff, later adding that the courthouse team had made 38 arrests so far this year and that the work \"is more than meets the eye most days.\"

The sheriff asked the council to consider lifting courthouse security base pay toward parity with administrative positions. The sheriff estimated that bringing two courthouse security staff to parity would cost approximately $9,359 total between the two positions (each roughly $4,675 in additional annual pay, as discussed in the meeting). Council later voted to accept the sheriff's budget \"minus the raises and the parity increase\" in the same hearing, then separately approved a motion to accept the sheriff's budget minus raises but signaled they would continue to consider parity requests as the budget process continued.

911 funding and telephone billing: The sheriff also told the council that a recurring AT&T bill for 9-1-1 equipment had been paid out of the commissioners' budget for several years and only recently was assigned to the sheriff's 9-1-1 budget. That back billing helped drive the county's 9-1-1 budget toward a deficit position in 2025. The sheriff described renegotiated AT&T contracts and said the 9-1-1 fund had a reserve but that projected outflows exceeded current tax revenues in coming years under existing rates. \"There's approval. There's there's about a little over a million dollar, give or take Yeah. Reserve in there,\" the sheriff said, but added the fund \"is a problem that we all need to collaborate and address in the near future.\"

Why it matters: Courthouse security and jail staffing affect court operations, prisoner transport and public safety. The sheriff framed the requests as retention and operational readiness issues in a competitive labor market that has already seen deputies leave for higher pay elsewhere.

Council response and next steps: Councilors approved the sheriff's budget at the hearing with raises removed but signaled they would revisit parity and new-position requests later in the budget process based on final totals and tradeoffs across county priorities.","Sheriff sought parity increases for courthouse security to match front-office pay and asked for two new jailer positions plus a transport officer. The sheriff's office also told council that 911 equipment billing was previously charged to the commissioners and that the 9-1-1 fund faces a multi-year deficit unless revenue lines change.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_46":103,"_48":104,"_50":105,"_52":106,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":107,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":108,"_66":55,"_67":68,"_69":55,"_70":71,"_72":71},6462038,"Greene County Council rescinds proposed 2.7% COLA and approves departmental budgets without raises",475,170000,645000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5812285-abaf30cabb10115406b8921452909b22&start=170&end=645","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5812285-abaf30cabb10115406b8921452909b22/thumbnail_170000.jpg","/articles/6462038/Greene-County/Indiana/Greene-County-Council-rescinds-proposed-27-COLA-and-approves-departmental-budgets-without-raises","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462038-46c05f1c3c2cc3fdfa668ee6bf49e1eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1775166184&Signature=is3ZuG8r1PVSuFAeeX2BAM9FDI2IadofAHF2UNqHJbzlBNhswnYIWp4Ds8MVdKiXCHhZFmIrCC4JjegkXoXhOI-CXrJ-GZrQNkF~G3K85FpSWEQxm1ST1SmIHQS5RHV-brtIHxxeeJoDXjpchubLJtnPr8tIAVMSgZnwHOQ0mgSZEq~NV1hrOji2aHwMkUDqtk4kOi5o4QeWRL5~hHLFjP~dbZxfids0TJx~lNB-zrQBFhIB-OmpiutsLjvgQanCzTnvGN9Z2F3cLrrAtlCCXjmILy4jLlKI1qvH4chU0H~xEFdjVn6S2d3XT~~sLGuxaYcgpewyZu1u1fFc7dyJbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Greene County Council voted Wednesday to rescind a previously proposed 2.7% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for county employees and approved departmental budgets that omit that raise.

Council members moved quickly through department budget votes after passing the rescission. Councilors said the step is a temporary measure while staff complete final calculations and run the numbers that show the impact of the COLA, fringe costs and other budget pressures.

The move began when a commissioner said, “I make a motion to rescind my original motion for the 2.7 COLA rates.” Council discussion then reviewed last year’s salary ordinance discrepancies and statewide revenue pressures. The body later recorded the rescission as approved and proceeded to vote on budgets for individual offices with the 2.7% raise removed.

Why it matters: Council members described the decision as fiscal caution amid uncertain state revenue and other costs. Several commissioners urged that staff return with precise figures before any additional pay decisions are made; several members said they remain concerned about recruiting and retention without periodic raises.

What the council did: Over the course of the hearing the council approved department budgets for many county offices — including the sheriff, auditor, assessor, health and EMS budgets — with the COLA removed and with corresponding adjustments to employer FICA/retirement lines. Votes were taken either by voice or roll call depending on the item; the transcript records multiple motions to amend earlier 2.7%-inclusion votes to “no raises.”

Councilors repeatedly said the rescission does not permanently preclude pay action: they left the door open to revisit raises later in the budget process after finance staff calculate the final bottom line.

Votes at a glance (selected):
- Motion to rescind the 2.7% COLA: approved (roll call recorded in meeting transcript; transcript shows the motion carried).
- Department budgets (auditor, assessor, sheriff, health department, EMS, and many others): council approved budgets “minus raises” in a series of motions and voice votes; where a roll call was used the result is recorded in the official minutes. (See provenance for transcript evidence spans.)

What comes next: Council members directed staff to return with updated totals showing how removing the 2.7% would affect retirement, holiday pay and line items. Commissioners said they expect to revisit specific pay or parity requests (notably courthouse security and a few department requests for new positions) later in the budget session.","The Greene County Council voted to rescind a previously approved 2.7% cost-of-living adjustment and, in separate votes, approved department budgets that remove this raise. Council members said they will revisit pay issues later as final budget numbers firm up.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

New EMS director outlines staffing needs, ambulance replacement plans and community paramedic funding

Greene County health director warns state funding cuts will force program changes; asks council to preserve core staff

Sheriff asks Greene County Council to raise courthouse security pay, adds request for two jailers and transport officer; 911 fund deficit flagged

Greene County Council rescinds proposed 2.7% COLA and approves departmental budgets without raises