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Sheriff flags pension shortfall, outlines jail schedule and taser purchase
Summary
Sheriff Noah Robinson told the council the sheriff's pension plan is out of compliance with actuarial contribution requirements and estimated a multi-year infusion is needed; he also outlined jail-construction timing and a five-year taser contract paid in installments.
Sheriff Noah Robinson told the Vanderburgh County Council on Aug. 15 that the county's sheriff pension plan has fallen out of compliance with the state's actuarially determined contribution (ADC) requirement and that the plan will require additional contributions to remain solvent.
"We were featured, as kind of the poster child for not doing that," Robinson said of the state review. He said the county has missed its ADC for several years and that a remediation plan will be required; he estimated, off the cuff, that maintaining the plan at minimum funding would require an infusion on the order of about $400,000 over the next three years and increasing county contribution rates by roughly 3 percentage points per year over a short multi-year period to stabilize actuarial projections.
Robinson also briefed the council on the new jail project: bid packages for the foundation were expected in September with an anticipated construction start in October and an overall schedule that should complete after the corner-building project that is being built concurrently. He said the facility is being managed by an assigned construction manager (Barton Malow) and that some timelines remain dependent on bids and schedules.
On equipment, Robinson described a five-year taser contract negotiated with the vendor after equipment manufacturer guidance changed; he estimated installments at about $100,000 per year and an all-in replacement near $500,000. He framed tasers as a less-lethal option and said the office pushed for better pricing while holding the vendor to terms.
Robinson discussed recruitment, noting improved hiring for confinement officers after recent pay increases but continued difficulty filling deputy positions; he described outreach to colleges and historically Black colleges and universities as part of recruitment strategies. He said the sheriff's office is exploring programming (including opioid-settlement-funded initiatives) intended to safely reduce jail populations and long-term out-of-county housing costs.
Council members asked for an actuarial briefing; Robinson said he would invite the actuarial vendor or state reviewer to present and walk the council through remedies. No formal action was taken at the hearing.
