The Terre Haute City Council approved Resolution 22-20-25 to transfer $50,000 from the abandoned-vehicle nonreverting fund to the police department's continuing education account and then approved Appropriation 09/2025 to split that amount into $25,000 for equipment and $25,000 for travel.

David Thompson, identified as representing the city police, explained the abandoned-vehicle fund is financed by auction proceeds from stored/abandoned vehicles and that state law limits how the fund may be spent. "Our abandoned vehicles are stored and auctioned off at Wolf's Auto Auction. The profits that we receive from that go to our abandoned vehicle fund," Thompson said, adding staff must transfer the funds into an appropriate continuing account to use them for training and equipment.

Thompson said the department initially asked to transfer $55,000 but reduced the request to $50,000 at the council's direction and plans to return for a $5,000 transfer to the Brent Long Memorial Fund in a subsequent meeting. The council amended the resolution and appropriation as presented and approved both on voice votes.

Council members thanked Thompson for the accompanying explanatory memo, which staff said detailed how the funds would be used. The appropriation allocations will be implemented through the police department's budget lines for purchase of equipment and travel/continuing education.

The resolutions passed on voice votes after motions to amend and approve were offered by council members and seconded. Staff said they will return to council for the remaining $5,000 transfer tied to the Brent Long Memorial Fund at a later meeting.