Council approves several appropriations and staffing requests, defers some funding decisions to April

At the meeting the Owen County Council approved multiple financial and personnel items: an additional‑appropriation resolution covering $25,000 for contract services (fund 12.35) and $1,736 for wages (fund 49.06), and a $20,000 appropriation from riverboat funds to cover election-related legal expenses requested by the clerk.

The prosecutor’s office requested $56,654.05 to replace an investigator vehicle (2025 Ford Explorer) and associated outfitting costs. Council discussed funding sources and directed the appropriation be split between the prosecutor user-fee fund and riverboat monies; formal budget actions and vendor commitments were deferred to the April 13 meeting so that appropriation language and fund balances can be finalized.

The auditor (Sheila) asked for a new full-time position to handle tax settlements and human-resources duties; council signaled support and approved a motion to add the position with a planned total cost of about $56,000 (with benefits), subject to final job description, wage classification and advertising/selection at the next meeting.

Several items were flagged for follow-up paperwork and timeline compliance (DLGF gateway uploads for additional appropriations, formal purchase agreements and April additional-appropriation processes). The council instructed departments to provide precise transaction summaries and job descriptions for the April meeting so the formal appropriations can be processed through state channels.