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LaPorte County Council approves a package of appropriations and purchases including scanner, appropriations for repairs and consultants
Summary
At its Sept. 22 meeting the LaPorte County Council approved multiple appropriations and purchases — including a check‑processing scanner, appropriations for building repairs, professional services, legal fees and partial funding for the prosecutor’s server — and directed staff to supply supporting invoices for large building repair requests.
The LaPorte County Council on Sept. 22 approved a series of appropriations, equipment purchases and transfers across county departments after extended discussion about supporting invoices and budget sources.
Key outcomes: - Check‑processing scanner: Council approved purchase of a check processing/scanner system (one‑time cost cited ~ $11,900 plus ongoing maintenance ~$3,000/yr) to speed tax collections and reduce processing delays; funding was approved from economic‑development/riverboat sources. - Building repairs appropriation: Council approved a contingent additional appropriation of $360,000 for maintenance/building repairs (Riverboat/LIT economic development funds), contingent on the auditor receiving all supporting invoices by the end of the week; the council also approved a $100,000 transfer from 100‑series accounts to reduce immediate draw on fresh funds. - Professional services/consultants: Council approved a large appropriation of $3,038,007.50 to cover prior year and current professional services and audits (including Maximus, SEH, Baker Tilly and related consulting costs necessary for federal grant compliance). - Legal fees and other appropriations: The council approved $50,000 for commissioners’ legal fees (WindTax) and approved multiple smaller appropriations and hires (auditor clerk hire, two maintenance positions, clerk record preservation transfers, and a $40,000 user‑fee appropriation for claims). - Prosecutor server: Council approved a partial appropriation ($11,200) to cover the prosecutor’s server contract through the end of the year and directed staff to include full annual costs in next year’s budget.
Council repeatedly emphasized the need for detailed backup invoices for large vendor payments and asked departments to supply itemized invoices so members could verify charges before final appropriation of the full amounts. Several votes used riverboat, LIT economic development and user‑fee funds as identified by staff.
