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Council told to approve new fund so drug‑court screening fees move through clerk’s office
Summary
Vigo County court and staff asked the county council to approve creation of a dedicated fund so drug‑court drug‑screen fees are deposited through the clerk’s office instead of being handled as cash in the court coordinator’s office.
Council President David Thompson and members of the Vigo County Council heard a request to approve creation of a new county fund so drug‑court drug‑screen fees can be deposited through the clerk’s office instead of being handled as cash at the court coordinator’s office. Michael (county staff) introduced the matter and said the council will be asked next week to approve fund creation language.
The request stems from how four fee streams that support the county’s drug court and veterans treatment court are collected and deposited. "There are 4 funds that supply drug court and veterans court with revenue," Michael said. He explained three of the four fee streams currently are paid to the clerk’s office and deposited into nonreverting county funds; one — the drug court drug‑screen fee — has been paid in cash directly to the drug court administrator.
Taylor Trinkle, court coordinator for Bayou County Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court, told the council she began in February and discovered cash payments were delivered to her office. "I was a little confused why I was being handed cash, and I was told that that's just the way it was always done," Trinkle said. She told the council she wants the fee routed to a dedicated fund so payments can be accepted securely through the clerk’s office rather than taken as cash in a business office off Ohio Street and carried to the treasurer and auditor.
Council members asked clarifying questions about whether the clerk would still accept cash, the existing nonreverting funds and whether any balance requires transfer. Trinkle and Michael said the clerk’s office would accept payments once a fund is established and that three of the four fee streams already go to nonreverting funds. Michael said he will present proposed ordinance language at the council’s next meeting. No formal vote or ordinance was taken at this meeting; the council is being asked only to approve creation of a fund through forthcoming ordinance language.
