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Superior and circuit courts ask for staff, pay adjustments and a permanent mental‑health court director
Summary
Superior Court leaders told the council the mental‑health court is at certified capacity and requested converting a part‑time director to full time plus additional case management support; judges also asked for salary adjustments for court administrators and step increases tied to court workloads.
Superior Court representatives told Vanderburgh County Council members that the county’s mental‑health court, which has operated since 2013, can no longer take new applicants and needs dedicated staff to comply with certification and meet growing demand.
Bob Tigman, speaking for Superior Court, said the court’s part‑time director should become full time with a requested salary of $75,000 plus benefits; the court has a state grant expected to cover roughly $55,000 of that amount this year. Tigman described the mental‑health court as an evidence‑based alternative for certain low‑level felony offenders with diagnosable mental illness and said certification rules have prevented new applicants from entering because the program is at capacity. “We can’t take new applications,” Tigman said. The court also requested converting the part‑time case manager to full time (requested $31,200), though Tigman said the reimbursement level is not yet clear.
Tigman additionally asked the council to consider an increase in the court administrator’s salary (current roughly $86,000), citing salary comparisons with other Indiana counties (Clark County and Allen County paying substantially more for similar roles). He said the court administrator performs a broad portfolio of duties, including serving as a permanent pro tem on the bench, administering multiple judges and courtrooms, and supervising the office finance functions.
Council members questioned specific account numbers and line‑item placement in the published budget book; staff agreed to correct and redistribute rationale pages showing exact account IDs and funding splits. Tigman said some positions previously proposed (a probation officer for $60,000) could be withdrawn and short‑term coverage reassigned from existing part‑time positions to meet immediate needs.
Circuit Court Judge David Kiley asked for step increases and small operating increases (jury pay, interpreter fees tied to a growing Hispanic population) and requested $9,600 to shore up the law library, which provides walk‑in legal help and is cited as a state model. Kiley announced his planned retirement effective Dec. 31, 2024.
No formal action was taken; the hearing was for discussion and clarification ahead of later appropriation votes.
