Vanderburgh County Council members postponed action Wednesday on proposed cuts in funding for the Human Relations Commission after County Commissioner Marsha Abell told them the city-county contract called for higher cuts.
After months of strained relations between Commissioners and the Human Relations Commission, Commissioners originally requested that their contribution to the city-county agency be $37,940 for 2013 — 20 percent less than what was budgeted for 2012.
But Abell told Council members at Wednesday's budget-cutting session that even that contribution was higher than their contractual obligation.
"We are asking that the figure be set in for the Human Relations Commission at 9 percent …," Abell said, "which is in accordance with the written, legal binding agreement the city has with the county."
...
Abell didn't have the contractual amount, but Auditor Joe Gries said based on the agency's total budget of $382,347 for 2013, the county's 9 percent contribution would be $34,411.
The Human Relations Commission is set to receive $47,425 from the county this year.
...
It's unclear why the county had been making a contribution higher than 9 percent the 1987 agreement called for.
But Abell said county attorneys found that was the most recent agreement, and County Council attorney Jeffrey Ahlers agreed.
