The Porter County Commissioners want to take a “pro-active” approach in aiding the County Council and the Sheriff’s Department, said Commissioner President John Evans, R-North.
He and fellow commissioners Nancy Adams, R-Center, and Laura Shurr Blaney, D-South, at their meeting Tuesday said they are willing to pledge upwards of $2 million in unallocated county economic development income tax (CEDIT) funds toward two major funding challenges in the 2014 County budgets Ð the new medical personnel at Porter County Jail and the Enhanced 911 Communications Center.
Both were hot discussion topics at the County Council meeting last week when the Council voted to hire two new medical officers to handle the large inmate population. The Council also agreed to use $1.1 million of the hospital sale interest fund toward new protocol software and new consoles to open up more police and fire channels on dispatch radios.
But Council members like Dan Whitten, D-At Large, felt it would be best for the Commissioners be in step with the Council as it deliberates strategies to hire jail staff and to maintain the budget for E-911, as it is reportedly the rainy day funds for operations may be depleted by next fall.
The Council called for a meeting to openly discuss the funding obstacles before the Council’s yearly budget work gets underway on Wednesday, Sept. 11. As of this morning, the joint meeting date has yet to be set.
Evans said his board is ready to talk about budgets and is offering up the CEDIT funds.
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