The Elkhart County Council on Dec. 18 adopted a package of staffing, budget and procedural measures, approving an ordinance that cuts the Concord Township assessor’s elected salary and approving a $985,000 emergency appropriation to repair and replace failing jail boilers.

County Attorney Steve Olsen explained ordinance CC2025-27, which amends the 2026 county salary ordinance to reduce the Concord Township assessor’s salary from $73,051 to $35,568 effective Jan. 1, 2026 and to set the chief deputy’s pay at 75% of the elected assessor’s salary for transition periods. Olsen said the change preserves the deputy’s current salary through Jan. 15, 2026 while council considers the Concord Township budget for 2026. The motion to adopt the salary amendment was moved by Council Member Clark and seconded by Council Member Randy; the council approved it by voice vote.

Commissioner Brad Rogers had earlier told the council the Concord Township assessor resigned Dec. 15, 2025 and that commissioners recommend reducing the salary and reorganizing the assessor office’s budget to allow county assessor staff to handle day-to-day work. Rogers said the reorganization could yield approximately $300,000 in savings and include a reduction in force in the Concord Township office.

The council also approved ordinance CC2025-26, which adopts several amendments to the Elkhart County personnel policy and standard procedures manual. County Attorney Olsen summarized changes including consolidation of the handbook into a single manual, clarifications on independent-contractor status, updates to jury- and election-day pay to comply with Indiana law, and a new policy addressing school-related conference leave.

On capital needs, County Administrator Jeff Taylor and county staff described a recent emergency at the county jail in which both boilers began failing. Taylor said one boiler went down and the county had to install a rental high-pressure steam boiler while arranging repairs. A county operations speaker reported the county replaced both boilers and installed appropriately sized controls (noting the new units are about 600,000 BTU, down from oversized 800,000 BTU units). The council approved an emergency additional appropriation request of $985,000 from the general fund for Buildings & Grounds work at the jail.

Council members approved three internal transfers — including a coroner request (autopsies to motor vehicle), a highway department transfer (group insurance to professional services) and a prosecuting attorney transfer (various lines to group insurance) — and accepted several board appointments and reappointments (redevelopment authority appointments and reappointments to the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals). The council approved the interest-rate committee’s recommendation to hold the county’s Major Moves loan rate at the current level and voted to table ordinance CC2025-28 (the Major Moves construction fund rewrite) until the January meeting so commissioners and staff can resolve outstanding details about interest-rate adjustments and nonpayment procedures.

All recorded agenda items were handled by voice votes; when a roll-call tally was not recorded in the meeting record, the transcript reports the motion carried after a call of 'Aye.' The meeting concluded after a single public comment about library salaries and a motion to adjourn.

Votes at a glance:
- Ordinance CC2025-27 (2026 salary ordinance amendment; Concord Township assessor salary reduced to $35,568): approved (motion by Clark; second by Randy; voice vote).
- Ordinance CC2025-26 (personnel manual amendments): approved (voice vote).
- Additional appropriation — Buildings & Grounds/jail boilers ($985,000): approved (voice vote; motion by "Steve" per record; second by Daryl).
- Transfers (coroner; highway; prosecuting attorney): approved (voice vote).
- Redevelopment authority appointments and PTABOA reappointments: approved (voice vote).
- Interest-rate committee recommendation (hold Major Moves loan rate): approved (voice vote).
- Ordinance CC2025-28 (Major Moves construction fund): tabled to January.

Next steps: Several items (the Concord Township budget changes and the Major Moves fund revision) are placed for further action at the council’s January agenda, and staff said they will return with required ordinance language and budget details.