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Steuben County Council reviews 2026 departmental budget requests, flags capital and staffing needs
Summary
During budget presentations Aug. 12 the council heard requests across departments: prosecutor staffing needs amid rising caseloads, highway bridge and trail projects, EMS equipment replacements and remounts, planning/code enforcement expansion, facilities capital work, and IT cybersecurity and ADA compliance concerns.
Steuben County department heads reviewed 2026 budget requests and highlighted capital projects, staffing pressures and operational needs during the Aug. 12 council meeting in Angola.
Prosecuting Attorney Travis Musser told the council his office faces record-high filings and urged consideration of another full-time deputy; he also noted the end of a STOP grant that has funded staff (SEG 011, SEG 032).
The highway department presented a multi-fund budget for bridge, local roads and operations; planned projects include Bridge 51, a roundabout and trail work. The surveyor requested a replacement vehicle and pay adjustments; facilities requested boiler replacement at the community center and increased repair and janitorial budgets for a vacant courthouse (SEG 034, SEG 036, SEG 045).
The Sheriff’s Office reported increases in misdemeanor and violent crime and proposed converting the dispatch director position from a merit deputy to a civilian role; the department discussed School Resource Officer (SRO) program options and interest in expanding marine patrols with lake association support (SEG 037).
EMA reported increased siren maintenance needs and proposed implementing a mass notification system (Motorola Brave) for improved public alerts. EMS outlined ambulance rebranding, equipment upgrades and possible remounts that may be funded with carryover and LIT estimates, and facilities described planned security camera and mower replacements (SEG 038, SEG 039, SEG 045).
IT briefed the council on vendor negotiations that yielded cost savings, planned network and storage upgrades to support video-heavy departments, cybersecurity monitoring improvements, and future ADA web-content compliance needs; IT requested retention of part-time support for workload and compliance (SEG 046).
Veteran Services reported no budget changes but said county offices will be certified by the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs and that counties may cost-share services starting in July 2025; new reporting standards should provide clearer performance metrics (SEG 047).
The council recessed to allow completion of departmental budget reviews and reconvened later in the day to finish remaining presentations (SEG 029).
