The Vanderburgh County Council approved the county'wide 2026 budget and a salary ordinance that gives a 3% pay increase to all full-time county employees and adjusts FICA and PERF accordingly.

The move was part of a wider package the council adopted during its budget hearing, which included department-level appropriations, a health-insurance budget and direction to let the Department of Local Government Finance set the official county tax rate after its review. "These numbers represent the employer share of the health insurance for county employees," Finance Committee chair James said while presenting the insurance figures; the council entered a health-insurance budget totaling $21,000,005.06 into the record.

The council approved a range of departmental appropriation changes and transfers, including funding for jail services, bridge guardrail work, and professional services for courts. Council members also approved a $50,000 allocation identified from opioid-related funds for Junior Achievement after public and council discussion about the program's role in youth prevention efforts. President Schettler thanked department heads and staff for work on a budget he described as requiring "creativity" to hold within overall limits.

Council members voted by voice on several items; the salary ordinance and the consolidated budgets were approved by majority voice votes after motions and seconds on the floor. James read the line-item adjustments aloud and made the motion to adopt the budgets as presented; the motion carried.

The council also authorized the process that allows the Department of Local Government Finance to set the final county tax rate following its review of the submitted budget documents. Members noted that the adjustments made at the hearing represent more than $4 million in reductions to the county's originally budgeted funds.

The council set the record documents'the amended position lists, salary ordinance exhibits and health-insurance schedules'as part of the official minutes. Council members praised county staff and department heads for trimming requests and finding alternate funding sources and directed staff to continue follow-up on items that required more detail.

Looking ahead, the council confirmed upcoming calendar items including a personnel finance meeting on Oct. 29 and the next county council meeting on Nov. 5.