Council adds veterans assistant and three case managers to 2026 salary schedule amid funding concerns
December 30, 2025 | Vigo County, Indiana
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The Vigo County Council voted 5-0 to amend the county’s 2026 salary schedule to add a full‑time veterans assistant and three case‑management positions meant to support the RISE program and a dedicated mental‑health treatment court case manager.
Dasha Donald, a RISE case manager, described the program’s hands‑on work linking people who come through the criminal‑justice system to services. “We transported 81 individuals so that they could meet with their probation officer, attend court hearings, make it to their mental‑health appointments,” Donald told the council, and she cited outcomes including 26 mental‑health referrals, 19 insurance enrollments, and a 59% completion rate for residential treatment among the program’s clients in 2025.
The mayor (as identified in the transcript) and other officials framed the request as a response to state funding reductions. The mayor said cuts to Health First Indiana forced local governments to consider using opioid settlement dollars and proposed a joint city‑county working group to set long‑term priorities for those funds. “We have about $1,500,000 in the bank,” the mayor said about city opioid settlement funds and urged joint planning for 2027 and beyond.
Council members pressed staff and judges on sustainability and asked whether funding two positions now rather than three could stretch dollars longer. Judges and the prosecutor argued that three positions preserve current service levels and help reduce jail days by enabling releases with structured plans and community‑based supports. County staff also noted ongoing grant pursuits, including United Way and private grants.
After debate, Councilwoman Brenda Wilson moved to approve the ordinance as presented; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call 5‑0.
What happens next: The positions will be added to the 2026 salary ordinance; staff and judges will continue to pursue supplemental funding and report back on fiscal sustainment plans.
Dasha Donald, a RISE case manager, described the program’s hands‑on work linking people who come through the criminal‑justice system to services. “We transported 81 individuals so that they could meet with their probation officer, attend court hearings, make it to their mental‑health appointments,” Donald told the council, and she cited outcomes including 26 mental‑health referrals, 19 insurance enrollments, and a 59% completion rate for residential treatment among the program’s clients in 2025.
The mayor (as identified in the transcript) and other officials framed the request as a response to state funding reductions. The mayor said cuts to Health First Indiana forced local governments to consider using opioid settlement dollars and proposed a joint city‑county working group to set long‑term priorities for those funds. “We have about $1,500,000 in the bank,” the mayor said about city opioid settlement funds and urged joint planning for 2027 and beyond.
Council members pressed staff and judges on sustainability and asked whether funding two positions now rather than three could stretch dollars longer. Judges and the prosecutor argued that three positions preserve current service levels and help reduce jail days by enabling releases with structured plans and community‑based supports. County staff also noted ongoing grant pursuits, including United Way and private grants.
After debate, Councilwoman Brenda Wilson moved to approve the ordinance as presented; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call 5‑0.
What happens next: The positions will be added to the 2026 salary ordinance; staff and judges will continue to pursue supplemental funding and report back on fiscal sustainment plans.
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