Jennings County Council advertises 2025 budget; approves $466,102 in additional appropriations to cover shortfalls

The Jennings County Council voted to advertise its proposed 2025 budget and approved a series of additional appropriations to address midyear shortages in insurance, workers' compensation and other accounts.

Council members adopted Ordinance/Resolution No. 2025-09 to advertise the county's budget and tax rates for public notice; the council also approved an immediate set of additional appropriations and payments including $7,056 from perpetual funds for the recorder's part‑time salary, a capital appropriation for HR technology, payment of a $2,004.74 invoice for a department head budget meeting, and a larger $466,102 additional appropriation to bring liability and workers' compensation accounts current.

Why it matters: County leaders said rising insurance and workers'‑comp costs have created immediate funding gaps that must be closed before the fiscal year ends. Council members debated whether to draw from the general fund, the county's safety (public‑safety) allocation, or bond proceeds and directed staff to produce an itemized breakdown of liability and workers'‑comp usage by department.

Most important actions and votes

- The council approved advertising Ordinance/Resolution No. 2025‑09, the proposed 2025 budget and tax rates, to meet state notice requirements. The ordinance will be finalized in October when the council sets the final numbers.

- The council approved an additional appropriation of $7,056 from perpetual funds to cover the recorder's part‑time salary through the end of the year.

- The council approved a capital appropriation (amount recorded in the meeting: $11,492.05) for HR (listed in the packet as a quote from Eagle Point Technologies) and authorized staff to advertise the appropriation.

- The council approved payment of $2,004.74 to Reedy for expenses related to the department head budget meeting.

- The council approved additional appropriations totalling $466,102 to address shortfalls, principally for liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage; the motion passed and staff will return with a recommended breakdown and proposed transfers from appropriate accounts.

Discussion and context

Council members described the insurance increases as substantial and said several lines were “short” compared with earlier estimates. One council member noted the county received multiple denial notices and that the liability‑insurance increase came late in the year, limiting the budget office's ability to project precise amounts for the advertised budget. The council discussed several funding options: transfers from the county safety allocation (often referred to in the meeting as the safety/lift or safety list), use of available bond proceeds where legally permitted, or a draw on the general fund as an interim measure.

On volunteer fire departments, a council member with volunteer fire service experience stated that state law requires workers'‑comp coverage for volunteer firefighters; the council noted that the commissioners submit and set portions of the commissioner's budget that historically included fire‑related insurance lines and that those lines had been underbudgeted this year.

Actions the council directed staff to take included: provide a department‑level breakdown of liability and workers'‑comp usage (sheriff/fire/other), calculate the precise amount needed to bring accounts current through the end of the year, and prepare a transfer proposal (from safety allocations and other eligible funds) for the council to consider next month.

What remains unresolved

Council members agreed the appropriations approved at the meeting would get accounts current but that the precise funding sources for the $466,102 package would be finalized later. The council said it expects staff to return next month with a recommended transfer plan separating liability and workers'‑comp costs by department.

Notes on procedure and timing

The council emphasized the difference between advertising the budget (what was approved at this meeting) and adopting a final budget (scheduled for October). Several motions passed by voice vote; specifics of individual yes/no tallies were not recorded in the transcript. The advertised ordinance number is 2025‑09 and will be posted as required by state rules for public notice.