Daviess County council elects 2026 officers, approves salary changes and green-lights EMS contract increase pending appropriation

Daviess County council members elected new leadership for 2026 and approved a set of budget and personnel motions during a regular meeting that also included a detailed jail report and a discussion of an EMS contract needing additional funding.

The meeting opened with routine business, including approval of the Dec. 10 meeting minutes. Nominations for officers followed: a council member nominated Tony Dungeon for president, and the motion carried. Mike Myers nominated Matt Meredith for vice president; that motion also passed.

Why it matters: The officer elections set who will steer the council’s agenda and committees this year, and the votes cleared several administrative and fiscal housekeeping items that affect staffing and planned payments.

The council approved two salary-ordinance amendments for Community Corrections that the advisory board had already endorsed. Speaker 9 told the council the advisory board approved the screening coordinator position and the clerical/administrative assistant pay changes and asked the fiscal office to make the necessary accounting switches so the new rates can be paid.

Speaker 10 provided the jail and security-center report, citing inmate counts, transport activity and program participation. He told the council the commissary fund covered roughly $207,000 in operational expenses last year and that the jail currently has about 30 male inmates in the work-release program. He also noted planned capital items, including a radio upgrade estimated at about $40,000 and LED-light replacements.

A significant fiscal item centered on the county’s EMS contract. Speaker 11 said the EMS provider has requested an additional $200,000 for the year and that the county needs to decide where to appropriate that money before the July payment; the two annual contract payments are made in January and July. After discussion — including remarks that the board and the new CEO had reviewed the contract and sought cost efficiencies — the council voted to proceed with approving the contract and directed staff to prepare appropriation paperwork so the July payment can be covered.

Votes and budget housekeeping: The council approved encumbrances for 2025 expenditures to be paid in 2026, accepted West Boggs’ wage recommendations with a note to tighten future review cycles, and approved an immediate amendment to the salary ordinance so payroll changes can be implemented. The council also approved applying an extra $250,000 from capital funds toward a bond payment.

Health First Indiana staff told the council a budget omission had moved nurse-liaison pay into another line during the budget process; the council approved a transfer from the Health First Indiana reserves to restore the nurse salary line and asked for an annual report on the program.

Public introductions: Members of the public included county clerks and local officials who introduced themselves to the council. One person identified in the record as a Du Bois County clerk announced a run for state representative.

The meeting concluded after routine small transfers and a motion to adjourn.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting): - Minutes from Dec. 10 — motion carried (approved). - Election of president — Tony Dungeon nominated and elected (approved). - Election of vice president — Matt Meredith nominated and elected (approved). - Salary-ordinance amendments for Community Corrections — approved. - EMS contract with $200,000 requested increase — council approved proceeding with the contract and directed staff to prepare appropriation for the July payment (funding source to be identified). - Encumbrances for 2025 to be paid in 2026 — approved. - Immediate amendment to salary ordinance — approved. - Additional $250,000 bond payment from capital funds — approved. - Health First Indiana nurse salary transfer (cleanup) — approved. - Small transfers (community corrections insurance to clerical, part-time to longevity) — approved. - Adjournment — approved.

What’s next: Staff were directed to prepare appropriation paperwork and ordinance language where needed (notably the EMS funding and the abatement/confidential documents requested for the February meeting). The council will revisit funding sources ahead of the July payment for the EMS contract.

Quotes from the meeting include: “I would nominate Tony Dungeon for president,” a council member said during nominations, and “there’s an additional 200,000 is what they’re asking for,” a county staffer said about the EMS contract.

Reporter’s note: The meeting transcript records votes as the council saying “aye” but does not provide roll-call tallies by name for most motions.