Evansville council approves 2026 salary schedule, updates nuisance fines, adopts budget transfers and rezones

The Evansville Common Council on Oct. 27 voted to adopt the city’s 2026 salary ordinance, raise civil penalties tied to large trash cleanups, approve a package of budget transfers and reappropriations across departments, and to adopt two zoning ordinances. The council also accepted the withdrawal of one rezoning petition and appointed Mary Allen to the Solid Waste Board.

The council adopted Ordinance G-20-25-20 (amended), the ordinance that sets the 2026 salaries for appointed officers, employees, deputies and department heads for the city and the Evansville Vanderburgh County Health Authority. Robert Gunter of the comptroller’s office described the ordinance as the "final ordinance for the 2026 budget that sets the salary for all the positions within the city." The motion passed on a roll call vote recorded as seven ayes and zero nays.

The council then adopted Ordinance G-20-25-21, which amends the Evansville Municipal Code’s civil penalties for nuisance-related trash and debris. The ordinance establishes a $200 fine for trash or debris weighing less than 2,000 pounds and a $500 fine for collections exceeding 2,000 pounds. Rick Dolfen, code enforcement coordinator, told the council the last fine update was in 2012 and said that in 2024 the city cleaned 53 properties with more than 2,000 pounds of material; one property in September required removal of 23.9 tons. Dolfen said the city’s contractor charges $280 per ton, and that property owners who are billed for cleanup receive a bill that includes contractor charges, an administrative fee and any fine. The ordinance was declared adopted after the roll call; the clerk recorded the affirmative result when called.

On budget matters the council approved Ordinance F-20-25-15 (amended), a multifund package of transfers,…