Vigo County council approves reorganization and pay changes for county group homes after extended debate

The Vigo County Council voted on April 10 to approve restructuring and pay-grade changes intended to reopen and expand services at county group homes for children, after hours of discussion about staffing, contract rates with the Department of Child Services and program risk.

The measure, described by County Homes Director Norm Loudermilk and county commissioners as necessary to make the program viable, passed on a roll call vote after council members debated whether to postpone the changes for a deeper budget review. The final tally recorded five votes in favor and one against.

Council members and county staff said the restructuring combines two therapeutic positions, creates a finance-and-compliance manager, raises the operations and treatment/licensing director grades, eliminates an office-manager position and transfers one maintenance position to the county maintenance department. Director Loudermilk told council members the realignment is designed to reduce overall head count and save money over hiring an additional full-time office manager: “If we don’t do this, we’re gonna be stuck with hiring a person to do the payroll and be called an office manager. And now you’ve added another employee to your payroll with all the benefits… when I’m telling you we can do it with one person.”

Loudermilk also argued the changes were required to meet Department of Child Services (DCS) expectations, to allow the county to accept higher-acuity placements and to collect reimbursements the county has not been receiving while the homes were underused. “We’re bringing in well over a million dollars a year,” he said, urging the council to act now so two homes could reopen and generate revenue and services for children. The council record shows five children were already placed in group homes at the time of debate and Loudermilk said he had recently turned down additional placements because he lacked staff for an additional home.

Several council members urged caution and recommended review by the budget committee before approving pay-grade changes. Councilman Randy Gentry repeatedly asked for comparisons to model counties and said he favored letting the budget committee examine staffing and contract rates with DCS before regrading positions. “I just don’t think we’ve got a factual basis to proceed,” he said. Gentry voted against the final motion.

Commissioners and other council members countered that the program needed immediate staffing to accept children in urgent placements and that delaying would forfeit an opportunity to provide local placements. Commissioner Morris said the county had received sustained community input urging continuation of the program and described the reorganization as a path to more stable placements and local capacity. Councilwoman Vicky Wager urged the council to vote and move the program forward; she later moved to call the question.

Council debate also addressed the negotiation status of DCS daily-placement rates. Loudermilk and commissioners said the county had negotiated rates previously and that DCS indicated the county could recoup a meaningful portion of operating costs; several council members said they had not seen current written contract numbers and asked staff to confirm rates and timelines for any renegotiation.

The council vote approved the reorganization and the associated salary ordinance changes. The county’s administration said the reorganization reduces the number of full-time administrative positions from five to four and estimates a net savings to the county compared with hiring an additional office manager, while also providing the operational staff necessary to open and operate the two homes.

Council members who supported the measure said they expect the program to accept additional children and to achieve closer alignment with DCS requirements. Those who opposed said they wanted more detailed comparisons with other counties and a budget-committee review before approving grade changes that affect midpoint salary calculations.

The county commissioners and Director Loudermilk said they will continue to coordinate with DCS and report back on contract negotiations and any material changes to reimbursement rates; the council’s vote authorizes the administration to implement the reorganization as described at the meeting.