Howard County Council approves $387,091 in additional appropriations; OKs judge grant line item and public defender ordinance

Howard County Council on Feb. 25 approved additional appropriations totaling $387,091.22, passed transfer and salary adjustments and authorized a line item to front an $8,500 court grant while hearing an annual report from the county public defender.

The council voted to adopt Ordinance No. 2025-HCCO-05, a package of additional appropriations that the auditor said totaled $387,091.22 across multiple funds. The items included a request from the commissioners to increase the county insurance appropriation after year-to-date premiums exceeded the amount set at budget time.

Miss Isaacs, a representative of the Howard County commissioners, told the council the commissioners had budgeted $800,000 for the county insurance fund but that the actual premium bill presented to the county was $1,123,000. "Basically, take it or leave it," she said of the packet of renewal offers the county received on Dec. 30. Isaacs and other staff said the county's previous single-carrier arrangement with Travelers Insurance was not renewed because of claims history and litigation risk; brokers secured coverage from multiple carriers at higher cost. Isaacs added, "We were never without insurance." Council members asked follow-up questions about drivers' training, accident frequency and deductible increases.

The ordinance’s line items included across several funds: county general commissioners insurance $310,000; jail and correctional items in a special purpose fund totaling $4,440.22; cumulative capital police equipment $500; an adjustment in the community corrections fund that produced a net reduction of $1,386; and health department adjustments totaling $34,825 in the local health maintenance fund plus $29,000 in the local health department trust fund. The jail correctional facilities meals line showed $9,712. The auditor summarized the total additional appropriations across all funds as $387,091.22.

Council members also approved Resolution No. 2025-HCCR-O4, a set of internal transfers that moved $1,875 to FICA for a part-time probation position funded by a 2024 pretrial services grant, and they passed Ordinance No. 2025-HCCO-06 amending the 2025 salary ordinance to reflect several personnel-line adjustments discussed on the floor.

During new business, Judge Blake Dahl presented an award letter from the Indiana Office of Court Services for a reimbursable court improvement grant. Dahl said the grant award was for $8,500 and listed planned purchases as a mobile lectern with audio, two wireless microphones, electronic jury instruction media, a metered postage/folding machine and an additional stun cuff for courtroom security. "By the way, we granted your request, for the court form grant, so we're gonna give you $8,500," Dahl said, reading the award notice. The council voted to permit the county auditor to assign a line of accounting so the county can front the costs and submit the reimbursement claim to the state; Dahl and staff said the purchase would be reimbursed after submission of invoices and the state claim form.

Public Defender Bradenbosch delivered the office’s required annual report and a revised comprehensive plan for indigent defense services that the public defender board and the state commission on court-appointed attorneys have adopted. Bradenbosch said the office received 2,856 case assignments in 2024, down from 3,089 in 2023; he noted a substantial drop in petitions to revoke (down 158 cases) but said probation violations do not count toward caseload reimbursement. He reported total 2024 expenditures of $2,726,152 and an anticipated reimbursement from the commission of $935,318 assuming approval of the fourth-quarter submission. The council approved Appropriation Ordinance No. 2025-HCCO-07 for the public defender supplemental fund expenditures that staff may claim without ordinary advertising when the auditor receives a qualifying claim form.

Other procedural business: the council approved a 2024 budget amendment (Resolution No. 2025-HCCR-O5) to correct line items for year-end reporting, accepted the encumbrance report showing $1,485,038.85 in current encumbrances, and tabled two fund items (two specific fund items were tabled until the relevant director could attend). Several motions were voice-voted; none of the motions recorded a roll-call tally in the public record presented at the meeting.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 2025-HCCO-05 (Additional appropriations, total $387,091.22): Motion to approve made by Councilman Frank Faulkner; second by Councilman Cuthbert; outcome: approved (voice vote). - Motion to table two funds (funds referenced as 1168 and 1260 in discussion): motion made and seconded on the floor; outcome: tabled until the director and Councilman James Vest can attend (voice vote). - Resolution 2025-HCCR-O4 (Transfers): approved (voice vote). - Ordinance 2025-HCCO-06 (Salary ordinance amendments): approved (voice vote). - Judge Dahl court grant line item (front county funds pending reimbursement, $8,500 grant): motion to permit auditor to assign accounting number made by Councilwoman Lake; second by Councilman Faulkner; outcome: approved (voice vote). - Ordinance 2025-HCCO-07 (Public defender supplemental appropriation authority): motion to approve made by Councilman Alexander; second by Councilman Faulkner; outcome: approved (voice vote). - Resolution 2025-HCCR-O5 (2024 budget amendments): approved (voice vote). - Encumbrance report ($1,485,038.85): approved (voice vote).

Why it matters: the actions adjust county spending in response to higher-than-expected insurance premiums and routine year-end and grant accounting; the council approved short-term county fronting of a reimbursable court grant and reviewed public defender workloads and costs that affect state reimbursement levels.

The meeting closed after brief council reports and an announcement the next regular meeting will be March 25 at 4 p.m.