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LaPorte County Council amends salary ordinance, approves hires and appropriations; several deputy pay moves pass 4–3
Summary
At its Nov. 24 meeting the LaPorte County Council approved an amended 2025 salary ordinance, cleared several personnel hires and appropriations, and recorded 4–3 roll-call support for two treasurer deputy pay/items to advance to the next ordinance. The council denied a surveyor hire later in the meeting.
The LaPorte County Council on Nov. 24 approved an amended 2025 salary ordinance, voted to allow several county offices to fill vacancies and approved a set of routine appropriations and equipment purchases.
The council heard a summary from the auditor explaining the amended salary ordinance removes employee names from the public copy, adds the date of personnel changes to help auditors match payroll periods, and keeps full records internally for verification. Councilmembers discussed step changes and retirements as reasons many entries changed. After discussion the council moved and approved the amended salary ordinance.
Council votes and personnel actions included: approval of the Oct. 27 minutes, permission for the auditor—s office to hire a tax-roll clerk to replace staff moved into the tax-sale clerk role, and the council—s recall and approval to permit Michigan Township to hire a commercial/income clerk after the item was initially tabled.
On the treasurer—s requests, council members moved to support raising the treasurer—s first deputy from COMET level 5 to 6 pending inclusion in the next amended salary ordinance and any additional appropriation; a roll-call recorded a 4–3 vote in favor to take the next step. The council also approved filling the treasurer—s second-deputy vacancy with an amendment that the first deputy remain in place, with a 4–3 roll-call in favor.
Appropriations and transfers the council approved included $2,270 for a sheriff personnel promotion, $96,000 for building maintenance (the motion specified riverboat funds), a $500 transfer for the Juvenile Service Center, $7,500 from the Clerk—s Record Perpetuation Fund for document scanners, a $4,000 transfer related to recorder training funds, and an $8,000 probation-user-fee purchase for desktop replacements and software.
The council also recorded support to move forward (to the December meeting for appropriation) on a roughly $25,000, three-year firewall renewal for county IT. The council adopted its 2026 meeting schedule and handled several smaller transfers and personnel items before adjourning.
Votes at a glance
- Amended 2025 salary ordinance: approved (voice vote). (Provenance: SEG 177–SEG 316.) - Permission to hire — Auditor (tax roll clerk): approved (voice vote). (Provenance: SEG 372–SEG 403.) - Michigan Township commercial/income clerk: after recall, permission to hire approved. (Provenance: SEG 1208–SEG 1271.) - Treasurer: motion to support moving first deputy from COMET 5 to COMET 6: 4–3 roll-call to proceed to next step. (Provenance: SEG 404–SEG 464.) - Treasurer: permission to fill second deputy (with amendment requiring first deputy to remain): 4–3 roll-call approved to fill. (Provenance: SEG 467–SEG 533.) - Surveyor request to hire office deputy: denied (voice vote, followed by roll call). (Provenance: SEG 540–SEG 889.) - Building maintenance additional appropriation: $96,000 from riverboat — approved. (Provenance: SEG 1372–SEG 1476.) - Sheriff additional appropriation: $2,270 — approved. (Provenance: SEG 1323–SEG 1360.) - Juvenile Service Center transfer: $500 — approved. (Provenance: SEG 1480–SEG 1490.) - Circuit Court Clerk scanners: $7,500 — approved. (Provenance: SEG 1495–SEG 1523.) - Recorder training-fund transfer: $4,000 — approved (discussion about statute and fund rules). (Provenance: SEG 1524–SEG 1565.) - Adult Probation equipment/software: up to $8,000 — approved. (Provenance: SEG 1580–SEG 1600.) - Superior Court 3 transfer: $357 — approved. (Provenance: SEG 1732–SEG 1742.) - IT firewall renewal (three-year contract, up to $25,000): motion of support; council asked to appropriate in December. (Provenance: SEG 1746–SEG 1796.)
Context and next steps
Several personnel decisions that require changes to the salary ordinance or additional appropriations will return to the council in December or with the next amended salary ordinance for final appropriation. The meeting packet and submitted documentation (job descriptions, salary study, personnel committee report) are in the public record and were referenced repeatedly during debate.
(Ending) The council adjourned after brief attorney and member remarks and confirmed dates for its 2026 meetings.
