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Child‑support division outlines $35 million budget and a missed $709,000 reimbursement opportunity
Summary
Child Support Division leadership told councilors there are 37,032 open child‑support cases in Marion County and explained how funding allocations between county general and federal/state incentive funds affect county reimbursements; staff identified a $709,288 potential reimbursement that was lost by fund allocation choices.
At a City‑County Council Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee budget hearing in the Public Assembly Room, the Marion County Prosecutor’s child‑support team presented a proposed 2026 budget and explained how fund sources affect county reimbursement.
“For our 2026 proposed budget, it is $35,012,418,” Chief Counsel Salida Scott told councilors, noting character‑1 (personal services) spending of $28,110,815 to support staff salaries. Michael McGuire, representing the child‑support division, said the division had 37,032 open child‑support cases as of the prior Monday.
The division outlined three funding streams for eligible child‑support expenses: county general, Title IV‑D incentive funds and prosecutor incentive funds. McGuire explained that the state reimburses 66% of the first $758,490 of eligible Title IV‑D expenses; how the county allocates expenses between county general and incentive funds affects the county’s net outlay after reimbursement.
McGuire described a hypothetical or retrospective recalculation in which moving more expenses into county general would have yielded an extra $709,288 in reimbursement. “If the incentive fund was not being used for those expenses, then you would be able… you would get 66% back on those,” he said. Councilor Graves asked clerical and CFO staff follow‑up questions to understand how to capture similar reimbursements going forward.
Why it matters: The funding choice affects short‑term county general obligations and long‑term available incentive funds that the prosecutor’s office and child‑support staff can use for services or personnel. McGuire said the division also plans mediation services for 2026 and continued outreach and job‑support programs that aim to help parents meet obligations and retain employment.
No vote was taken; the presentation was informational. The committee asked for further explanation of the accounting choices that create differences in reimbursements.
