Vanderburgh County Council approves multiple personnel hires, defers court‑reporter reclassification for study

The Vanderburgh County Council approved a series of personnel requests and grant‑funded hires on Feb. 5 while referring a larger reclassification request for 10 court reporters to the personnel committee for further study.

Council President Schettler opened the meeting and the council approved routine staffing requests across county departments, including hires and vacancy fills requested by Superior Court, the county clerk, the treasurer, the sheriff's office, Purdue Extension, the prosecutor's office, county highway and multiple health‑department positions funded by state and federal grants. The council also approved a budget transfer from CCPI to work release.

The approvals included a clarification from Gary Schuette of Superior Court that a previously authorized probation officer position should be amended to a part‑time school liaison position to support law‑enforcement coordination and electronic home detention monitoring. The council approved that amendment, and also approved an increase to a stipend paid from treatment‑court and work‑release funds.

Diana Merced, Vanderburgh County Prosecutor, reported two internal hires to fill an enforcement‑officer supervisor position and a receptionist vacancy; the council approved both requests. John Stoll, county engineer, asked to fill an administrative assistant vacancy and the council approved posting to fill that role. Darby Bridal, chief deputy for the county clerk, and Annie Miller, chief deputy coroner, presented routine replacement requests that the council approved.

The health department sought and received approval for a string of grant‑funded positions across immunization, STD prevention, TANF and an early learning ("pre‑to‑3") program. During that discussion Council members probed a pay‑rate discrepancy for a proposed part‑time community health worker under the early learning grant: the position had been submitted erroneously with a full‑time annual salary of $43,742, but staff clarified that the role is part time (up to 29 hours per week) and the intended pay is an hourly rate of about $23.07. The council approved creating and filling the part‑time community health worker position (P‑1) and approved the related grant positions (M and N for immunization and STD prevention).

The council also approved a school‑safety agreement with the sheriff's office to fund a part‑time special deputy for schools and accepted several standard vacancy‑fill requests from the treasurer and sheriff's offices. A transfer from CCPI to work release was approved without recorded opposition.

The meeting's most substantive debate centered on a request from Superior Court judges to reclassify 10 court reporters who perform supervisory and administrative duties to a higher pay classification (from PAT 5 to PAT 6). Judge Lloyd and other judges said several court reporters supervise staff, track time and manage administrative tasks in ways that differ from non‑supervising reporters; they also said funds exist in current budget lines, in part due to staffing changes, to begin covering the reclassifications.

Several council members expressed concern about the broader fiscal and comparability implications. Council members asked for a comparative study with similar counties (Allen County was mentioned as a possible comparator) and requested the personnel committee review the request, including salary comparisons and the scope of supervisory duties. The council voted on a motion to defer the 10 reclassifications to the personnel committee for evaluation and asked the committee to report back by the council's first meeting in April. The deferral passed on a roll call vote of six ayes, no nays.

The council concluded by approving a consolidated salary ordinance package (with the Superior Court reclassification items removed for referral) and noted upcoming meetings, including the next county council meeting on March 5, 2025, at 3 p.m.

Votes at a glance - Minutes of the county council meeting of Jan. 8: approved (motion passed). - Superior Court: amend previously approved part‑time probation officer to a part‑time school liaison; approved. - Superior Court: increase stipend paid out of treatment court and work‑release funds; approved. - County Clerk: create/fill assistant chief deputy bookkeeper; approved. - County Treasurer: fill funds and inheritance tax bookkeeper vacancy; approved. - Sheriff: fill deputy vacancy and approve school‑safety special deputy; approved. - Coroner: fill secretary/deputy vacancy; approved. - Purdue Extension: part‑time 4‑H assistant and pay amendment; approved. - Prosecutor: fill enforcement‑officer supervisor and receptionist vacancies; approved. - County Highway: fill administrative assistant vacancy; approved. - Health Department: approve multiple grant‑funded positions (immunization, STD prevention, TANF) including creation/fill of a part‑time community health worker (P‑1) under the early learning grant; approved. Council clarified the correct part‑time hourly rate (~$23.07) and that the prior $43,742 figure was an erroneous full‑time salary submission. - Transfer: CCPI to work‑release transfer; approved. - Superior Court: request to reclassify 10 court reporters (PAT 5 to PAT 6) referred to personnel committee for study and report back by the council's first April meeting; referral approved by roll call, 6 ayes, 0 nays.

Speakers quoted or attributed in this article were identified from meeting remarks: President Schettler; Council members Yaccarino, Kiefer, Hahn, Bassmeier, Raven and Montrose Dell; Gary Schuette (Superior Court, juvenile division); Darby Bridal (chief deputy, county clerk); Diana Merced (Vanderburgh County Prosecutor); John Stoll (county engineer); Megan Hofer (Purdue Extension); Annie Miller (chief deputy, coroner's office); Joe (Health Department director, last name not specified); and Judge Lloyd. Direct attributions in the body are limited to statements these speakers made during their department presentations or during council debate.

Ending The personnel approvals will allow departments to post and fill the authorized vacancies and to proceed with the approved grant positions; the personnel committee is expected to return with a study of the court‑reporter reclassification by the first council meeting in April. The council's next regular meeting is scheduled for March 5, 2025, at 3 p.m.