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Steuben County Council approves $1.4 million ARPA appropriation and multiple salary-related increases
Summary
The council approved a package of additional appropriations on Jan. 13, 2026, including a $1,400,222.17 appropriation from remaining ARPA balances to be expended by the end of 2026, multiple 5% salary-related adjustments across departments, and a $87,717.94 appropriation for Statewide 911.
The Steuben County Council on Jan. 13 approved a series of additional appropriations totaling more than $1.5 million, including $1,400,222.17 from remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the council authorized to be spent by the end of 2026.
County Commissioner Wil Howard and department leaders presented a batch of requests tied largely to anticipated 5% salary increases for 2026. The council approved additional appropriations for the Highway MVH Personnel Services account (Fund No. 1176) totaling $85,527.92 ($7,975.64; $56,143.00; $21,409.28), public health accounts (Fund No. 1159: $13,908.29; Fund No. 1161: $10,708.20; Fund No. 7376: $4,315.66), Prosecutor-related funds (Fund No. 2511: $5,402.09; Fund No. 8897: $1,242.44), and a Recorder fund (Fund No. 1189: $2.41). Each of these requests carried on voice votes recorded as seven ayes and zero nays.
The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office submitted an additional appropriation of $87,717.94 for Statewide 911 personnel costs; the council approved the request 7–0. The commissioners also asked the council to approve $4,625.99 to cover a cybersecurity analyst position in the county IT department; that request passed 7–0.
The largest single item was the appropriation of the remaining ARPA fund balance: Commissioners moved to appropriate $1,400,222.17 (Funds 8950.12200.0000 and 8950.30002.0000 combined) for use by the end of 2026. Councilman Eric Prall moved the ARPA appropriation; Councilwoman Christina Cress seconded. The motion carried by a vote of seven ayes and zero nays.
Council members discussed cash balances and ‘‘cash burn’’ related to larger projects while approving the highway and salary-related requests. Highway Engineer Chip Porter also presented a Draft 2026 Road Program and a Draft 10-Year Road Program, and the council approved a grant application for an Earn Indiana internship that could reimburse up to $11,484.
The council signed off on the appropriations as part of routine budget maintenance tied to the 5% salary increase adopted for 2026; no further conditions on the ARPA spending were stated at the meeting. The council adjourned after brief new-business items and scheduling updates for the 2026 budget calendar.
