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Vigo County Council Votes on Additional Appropriations and ARPA Grant Distribution

On Tuesday evening, the Vigo County Council met to discuss various important matters, including additional appropriations for 2023 needs, 2024 county salaries, ARPA grant distribution requests, and the 2024 county budget. Among these, decisions related to the distribution of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) sparked disagreement.

The council, which serves as the county’s fiscal body, voted 5-1 to table a request to allocate $1 million in ARPA funds to the United Way of the Wabash Valley. The United Way planned to utilize the funds for child care programs, nonprofits, and small businesses. Councilwoman Marie Theisz supported the United Way but requested more time for discussion and further review of the details and process. The decision to table the request until next month will allow for a thorough examination of the proposal.

Council President Todd Thacker expressed his opposition to the $1 million allocation, suggesting that the county could allocate that amount towards other governmental purposes. He specifically mentioned the possibility of using the funds to provide better compensation to county employees through a one-time bonus payment. While acknowledging the importance of supporting nonprofits and small businesses, he questioned whether it is the role of the county government to carry out such distribution. Emphasizing the need to prioritize the county’s own needs, Thacker believed that focusing on the “home base” should take precedence.

Another contentious decision concerned a request from the Vigo County Historical Society for $50,000 in ARPA funds to renovate the east exterior wall of the Vigo County History Center. The wall, which features a Coca-Cola mural, requires substantial repairs due to insufficient maintenance. The historical society estimated the total project cost to be around $300,000. With a tie vote of 3-3, the council declined to proceed with the $50,000 ARPA distribution for this purpose.

The involvement of County Commissioner Chris Switzer during the meeting became a point of contention. Thacker informed Switzer that he could not speak to the council at that moment, leading Switzer to leave the meeting. However, Commissioner Mark Clinkenbeard expressed his disappointment during the public comment period at the end of the meeting. Clinkenbeard shared that the Board of Commissioners had sought assistance from the United Way in distributing ARPA funds to childcare centers, nonprofits, and small businesses that were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed frustration that some agencies were being overlooked in the county’s ARPA spending process. As a small-business owner himself, Clinkenbeard understood the struggles associated with the pandemic and emphasized the importance of supporting these entities.

The County Council did approve $75,000 in ARPA funds for the Terre Haute Children’s Museum and $225,000 for the Swope Art Museum. Additionally, the council granted final approval to a set of nine compensation policy ordinances. These ordinances ensure a 3% increase in general employee salaries and include specific stipend allocations. The county organized the salary ordinances into distinct categories to effectively group employees with similar responsibilities, such as sheriff’s merit officers, licensed lawyers in the prosecutor’s and public defender’s offices, and employees in parks, health, and highway departments. This restructuring resulted from a comprehensive compensation policy review conducted by consultants from BakerTilly, with the goal of aligning Vigo County’s pay rates to the 25th percentile compared to public employees’ compensation across the state.

Furthermore, the council approved additional appropriations for the current budget year. These appropriations included $21,000 for the Riley Fire Protection District’s capital outlays, $70,500 for court expenses such as drug testing, physician fees, and printing, and $25,000 for the coroner’s office to cover corpse transportation costs.

In conclusion, the Vigo County Council’s recent meeting involved critical decisions regarding additional appropriations, ARPA grant distribution, and the county budget. The AI legalese decoder can assist in navigating the complex legal terminology and optimizing the understanding of important legal documents and proposals related to various fiscal matters.

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