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Marion County surveyor presents 2026 budget; requests equipment upgrade funded by perpetuation fee
Summary
Marion County surveyor Deborah Jenkins presented the office's 2026 budget, emphasizing continued reliance on the recorder's $5 perpetuation fee for salaries and operations and seeking an $80,000 GPS station to boost field productivity.
Deborah Jenkins, Marion County surveyor, presented the surveyor's office 2026 budget and described staffing, revenue sources and capital needs at the Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee meeting.
Jenkins told the committee she has served as county surveyor since 2009 and outlined the office's three divisions — administrative, surveying (research, planning and field work) and history/preservation and data analysis. She said revenue for the office comes primarily from a $5 recording fee collected by the Marion County recorder and deposited into a perpetuation fund that the office uses to support salaries and operations.
Nut graf: the surveyor's office requested continued support from the perpetuation fund for staff and operations and said it needs an approximately $80,000 GPS station — an equipment item the office has requested in prior years — to increase field productivity and complete projects faster.
Jenkins said the office has 10 full-time employees and one current opening, and that two employees are pursuing land-survey-related education as part of a Vincennes University hybrid program under a signed MOU. She reported a budget increase paid from the perpetuation fund with no general-fund impact and noted one-off events affecting operations this year including a vehicle fire involving an employee’s vehicle.
The surveyor described community engagement and staffing development initiatives, including work with local education programs and national committees that advocate for transportation and land-survey matters. Jenkins said the office’s revenue is primarily from the recorder’s $5 fee and from ATC forms tied to Alcohol Beverage Commission applications.
Ending: Committee members thanked the surveyor for the presentation and asked follow-up questions about routine public inquiries handled by the office; Jenkins said many public calls concern property-line and fence disputes and clarification of buried monuments and right-of-way questions.
