LaPorte County councilors seek outside efficiency study, direct staff to vet firms

LaPorte County councilors at a workshop on Oct. 27 directed staff to solicit proposals from outside firms for a countywide efficiency study and to return with sample work, peer references and a recommendation to the council in November.

The discussion centered on where an independent review could yield savings — from procurement practices and contracted services to IT equipment, vehicle fleets and staffing structures — and on how to set a scope that balances cost and depth. Auditor Rosebaum said the county now has a list of six potential firms and that some prior vendor estimates were high: "this is a could be an efficiency study. It can be a very costly report," she said, noting a previous Baker Tilly engagement had been estimated at more than $200,000 for only part of the county.

Why it matters: Council members said personnel costs dominate the county budget and that even small percentage changes in large budget lines can have meaningful results. "The majority of our general fund budget goes towards salaries, personal services," said Commissioner Gill, who said about 75% of the general fund is for staffing costs and flagged health insurance as a particularly large line item (estimated at about $12 million next year).

What the council discussed: Auditing and scope Auditor Rosebaum recommended the county decide whether to analyze all departments or to begin with a sample, suggesting "probably a dozen" departments to examine first and warning that statutory constraints may limit which positions can be changed. She said the county's existing salary grids trace back decades and that Wagner Irwin Shealy — a firm familiar to the county for salary work — was among the vendors contacted. Rosebaum also said one time‑management vendor quoted under $50,000 for a first year and full implementation.

Procurement and low‑cost operational changes Members repeatedly returned to relatively low‑cost, operational savings that could be addressed quickly or folded into a broader study: consolidating water‑dispenser vendors and delivery frequencies, sharing surplus supplies between departments, and routing more purchases through a central purchasing channel. The workshop chair described the current purchasing workflow as "jumbled" and urged formalizing purchase orders so vendors do not invoice the county before a PO is issued and so POs are tracked in the county financial system.

IT, equipment and lease vs. buy Darlene, identified in the meeting as the county's IT lead, said for LaPorte County's environment buying and stretching equipment longer has generally been cheaper than leasing. Council members and staff recalled that leased copiers historically cost the county more over time and suggested the same analysis apply to computers, servers and other devices.

Fleet and vehicles Speakers discussed Enterprise rental/lease arrangements as an option for groups of standardized civilian vehicles (community corrections, process servers, similar units), while cautioning specialized sheriff or highway vehicles may not be suitable for pooled leasing because of customization and maintenance needs.

Staffing, overtime and retention Commissioners emphasized that public‑safety overtime, 911 operations and EMS workloads create retention and burnout risks. Some said it may be more cost‑effective in the long run to adjust staffing levels rather than rely on overtime. Council members also urged cross‑training and emphasized that results of any study should be acted on rather than shelved.

Next steps and timeline Councilors asked the auditor and staff to reach out to the six identified firms, request samples of prior work, and contact other counties for references. Auditor Rosebaum said she would also query auditors' groups and a statewide council members' Facebook group for additional leads. The council scheduled an update on the scoping and vendor outreach for the November meeting. No formal motion or vote was taken during the workshop.

The workshop closed with staff directed to report back with sample work, pricing estimates and a recommended scope for either a countywide review or an initial sampled set of departments.