Channel 44 News: Vanderburgh Co. Council Requests $4M Cut From Proposed Budget

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Vanderburgh Co. Council Requests $4M Cut From Proposed Budget

Millions of dollars in the Vanderburgh County budget could be cut for the upcoming year. The Vanderburgh County Council expressed the need to cut $4 million from the proposed budget throughout various departments.

Major increase requests came from Sheriff Dave Wedding in reference to jail overcrowding with an almost 85% increase. One reason for this is that the Vanderburgh County Jail houses level six felonies from the state, but Sheriff Wedding is working towards covering some of the cost.

Sheriff Dave Wedding said, “We are reimbursed by the state at thirty-five dollars a day to house level six offenders. I’m working with the committee of sheriffs across the state to see if we can’t get that increased to fifty dollars a day to help with the increasing costs that we incur to operate a jail.”

Sheriff Wedding also brought up the need for a new structure to house the growing inmate population.