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Council denies county surveyor—s request to refill office-deputy post after members question need
Summary
LaPorte County Surveyor John Matlischian asked Nov. 24 to replace an office deputy he had dismissed. Councilmembers questioned whether the position was necessary given prior months operating without it and voted to deny the request, directing the surveyor to ensure critical functions are covered and to report back.
County Surveyor John Matlischian appeared before the LaPorte County Council to request permission to hire an office deputy to replace an employee he had discharged. He described the position—s duties: handling public records requests, responding to subdivision and school-project inquiries, processing rental questionnaires for income-producing parcels, and supporting field crews that maintain section corners and monuments.
Councilmembers pressed Matlischian on whether the office could absorb the workload without a new full-time hire. Several council members said the office had operated for months without a permanent deputy and that work had been redistributed among staff; one councilmember said a part-time solution or reallocation of duties could suffice. Matlischian said the office was backlogged and that certain requests could not be completed without additional support.
After extended questioning, Councilmember Yugalski moved to deny the request; the motion carried and the chair called for a roll call to document votes. The council asked the surveyor—s office to present a plan detailing how critical tasks (section-corner maintenance, records access and backlog handling) will be covered moving forward.
(Ending) The request was denied and the council directed the surveyor to report back with a coverage plan and to identify whether services, response times or backlog mitigation would be affected by the denial.
