AGENDA Of VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL On September 7, 2022, at 8:30 A.M. In Room 301 

1. OPENING OF MEETING 

2. ATTENDANCE ROLL CALL 

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

4. INVOCATION 

5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 

• July 27, 2022 Personnel & Finance 

• August 17, 2022 Council Meeting 

• August 17 & August 18, 2022 Budget Hearings 

1. 1. 6. PERSONNEL REQUESTS: (A) Assessor 1. Request to fill vacancy for Real Estate Deputy Residential II 10001090-109139 
   2. 2. Request for advanced Step 3 placement Real Estate/PTABOA Deputy V 10001090-109150 
   4. (B) Jail 1. Request to reclassify Confinement Officer line 10001320-132081 to Confinement Officer Staff Sergeant 
   6. (C) Burdette Park 1. Request to fill vacancy for Maintenance 10001450-145125 
   8. (D) Public Defender 1. Request to create and fill new full-time Public Defender line 10001420-142119 
   10. (E) Cumulative Bridge 1. Request to increase hourly pay rate for PT Paving Inspector 11350000-199000 
   12. (F) Health Department 1. Request to fill vacancy for Supervisor STD/HIV/AIDS 11590000-115938 
   14. (G) Health Department – WIC 1. Request to increase PT hourly pay for PRN Clerk 84030000-199000 
   15. 2. Request to increase PT hourly pay for Breast-Feeding Coordinator 84030000-199000 
   16. 3. Request to increase PT hourly pay for Health Educator 84030000-199000 
   17. 4. Request to change title from Administrative Aide 84030000-840319 to Intake Coordinator and reclassify from COMOT IV to PATMED 
   18. 5. Request to change title from Administrative Aide 84030000-840321 to Intake Coordinator and reclassify from COMOT IV to PATMED 
   20. (H) Health Department – Lactation 1. Request to increase PT hourly pay for three Breast-feeding Peer Counselors 84060000-199000 
   22. (I) Health Department – My Healthy Baby Grant 1. Request to create one-time stipend line 94190000-941916 for PT Pre to 3 Public Health Nurse (Safety Pin Grant 94150000-199000) 
   24. (J) Health Department – Issues & Challenges Grant 1. Request to create Community Health Worker line 94210000-942111 and fill vacancy. 
   25. 2. Request to create Community Health Worker line 94210000-942112 and fill vacancy. 
   26. 3. Request to create PT Administrative Aide line 94210000-199000 and fill vacancy. 

1. 1. (K) Work Release – User Fees 1. Request to create two PT positions line 25050000-199000 and fill vacancy. 
   3. (L) Superior Court -INDOC Grant 1. Request to fill vacancy for PT Residential Officer 93040000/93140000-199000 
   5. (M) Superior Court – INDOC Treatment Court & Work Release Grant 1. Request to increase hourly pay for four PT positions paid from 93040000/93140000-199000 and for four PT positions paid from 93170000-199000 and 93180000-199000. 
   7. (N) Prosecutor-Innovation Prosecution Solutions Grant 1. Request to fill vacancy for PT Student Intern 82020000-820202 
   9. (O) Prosecutor-Cyber Crimes Unit Grant 1. Request to fill vacancy for PT Student Investigator 82080000-820815 
   11. (P) Area Plan 1. Request to fill vacancy for Zoning Enforcement Officer 10001240-124122 
   12. 2. Request referral to consultant for review and recommendation for Zoning Administrator 10001240-124114 
   13. 3. Request to create new position for Assistant Zoning Administrator/Planner and referral to consultant for review and recommendation 
   15. (B) Sheriff 
   16. (C) Coroner 
   17. (D) Public Defender 
   18. (E) Old National Events Plaza 
   19. (F) Burdette Park 
   20. (G) CCD/Burdette Park 
   21. (H) LIT/PS – Superior Ct WITHDRAWN 
   22. (I) County Highway 
   23. (J) Superior Court Supplemental 
   24. (K) COIT/Sheriff 
   25. (L) COIT/Superintendent of Co. Buildings 

7. APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE: 

8. REPEAL: (A) LIT/Public Safety –Sheriff

1. 1. 9. TRANSFERS: (A) Coroner 
   2. (B) Prosecutor 
   3. (C) Jail 
   4. (D) Superior Court 
   5. (E) Sales Disclosure Fees – Assessor 
   6. (F) Health Department 

1. 1. 10. SPECIAL APPROPRIATION: (A) Solid Waste Management District Fund 
   3. 11. NEW BUSINESS: (A) Public Hearing/2023 Evansville-Vanderburgh Airport Authority Budget 
   4. (B) Public Hearing/2023 Solid Waste Budget 
   5. (C) Presentation of 2023 Civil Taxing Unit Budgets 
   7. 12. AMENDMENTS TO SALARY ORDINANCE: 

13. PUBLIC COMMENT 

14. REMINDER UPCOMING MEETING DATES/TIMES: 

Personnel & Finance September 28, 2022 @ 8:30 a.m. 

County Council meeting October 5, 2022 @ 8:30 a.m. 

County Council Budget Adoption October 5, 2022 @ 9:00 a.m. 

15. ADJOURNMENT 

Nonpartisan Group Ranks Indiana’s Transparency And Campaign Finance Laws Last In U.S.

• By Jack Sells, TheStatehouseFile.com
• Sep 4, 2022 Updated Sep 1, 2022

INDIANAPOLIS—When it comes to transparency and the regulation of contributions to political campaigns, Indiana ranks last in the nation, according to Coalition for Integrity.

The nonpartisan nonprofit group ranked states based on 10 criteria for its State Campaign Finance Index 2022, and Indiana scored 38.33 out of 100. The state of Washington topped the list at 83.99.

Coalition for Integrity takes into account who is in charge of election laws in each state; the amount of money individuals, corporations, and unions can give to candidates or political parties; and the disclosure requirements for contributions, among other things.

The CEO of Coalition for Integrity, Shruti Shah, told The Statehouse File that the purpose of the index is to “help citizens understand a little bit better how their state’s campaign finance rules and regulations match up to others” and “give reform-minded legislators with a view to what other states are doing so if they’re trying to enact legislation, they have someplace to look.”

Indiana has an election commission with four members appointed for four years by the governor. In general, individuals, political parties, and political action committees can give unlimited money to candidates, while unions and corporations are limited to $22,000 a year.

In Washington, a five-member Public Disclosure Commission is also appointed by the governor but differs from Indiana in that members can be removed for “neglect of duty or misconduct in office.”

Coalition For Integrity Rankings, By state

Rankings according to Coalition for Integrity. There are 51 because of the District of Columbia…

The northwestern state also limits individuals, corporations, unions, and PACs to $2,000 for statewide candidates and $1,000 for legislative candidates per election.

“But it’s not just about … banning donations by corporations and unions, or by limiting the number of contributions by individuals,” Shah said.

In Indiana, Shah said there are no transparency laws around who gives money to Super PACs, and candidates must report contributions over $100—as opposed to Washington’s limit being set at $25.

OpenSecrets, a research group that studies money in politics, describes Super PACs as such: “Technically known as independent expenditure-only committees, super PACs may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals, then spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates. Unlike traditional PACs, super PACs are prohibited from donating money directly to political candidates, and their spending must not be coordinated with that of the candidates they benefit.”

The Statehouse File reached out to the Indiana Election Commission for comment, and the following statement was provided by Allen Carter, director of communications for the Indiana secretary of state:

“The office of the Indiana Secretary of State maintains a robust campaign finance transparency portal where citizens can find detailed financial records on campaigns and committees who are required by state law to disclose. Campaign finance records can be manually searched here: https://campaignfinance.in.gov/PublicSite/Homepage.aspx.”

Likewise, Luke Thomas, press secretary and digital director for the Indiana Republican Party, said information is easy to find, and he disagreed with the report’s assessment.

“Here in Indiana, campaign finance information is easily accessible and available to the public,” he said. “Regardless of what this ideologically-driven report states, we believe our reporting mechanisms are strong and that they provide important transparency for citizens.”

Professor Gregory Shufeldt, who teaches political science at the University of Indianapolis, also spoke to The Statehouse File about the issue of campaign finances.

Shufeldt identified “unequal influence” and “corruption” as the two major problems people want to address by requiring transparency and regulating financing in campaigns.

Shufeldt said limiting political donations can create an illusion of fairness in which everyone, no matter their wealth, is limited in how much they contribute to a politician.

“From what we can tell, really on the history of trying to regulate money in politics, is that people that have the means and would like to find influence are going to find a way to influence,” Shufeldt said. “And so when we place caps on the amount of money that people can give directly to candidates, that money finds its way to political parties and new interest groups and super PACs. And so, in some ways, trying to place limits on things can often have an unintended consequence of making the money go dark and make it harder to track.”

Creating an “appearance of leveling the playing field,” however, “restores confidence in the system and makes people feel like they can have an impact,” according to Shufeldt.

“If everything stayed the same and Indiana had Washington’s laws, I think we would expect to see the same types of political parties dominate Indiana politics, we would see the same types of candidates win, and I don’t actually think that we would necessarily see a change in voter turnout,” Shufeldt said. “But what we would see is that voters would be more confident in their ability to impact the system or more trusting of the system.”

Indiana Democratic party officials declined to comment.

Both Shufeldt and Shah agree there is no one law that will make a difference—no “silver bullet,” as Shah put it.

And while Shufeldt thinks more transparency would impact those already voting in Indiana, the civic education that Hoosier kids receive and the fact that many races aren’t competitive are holding back any meaningful change in civic engagement.

“And so to see the sort of the whole change in our political culture, it would take more than just these specific campaign finance laws,” Shufeldt said. “It would take a more fundamental change in Hoosiers’ orientation toward government.”

FOOTNOTE:  Jack Sells is a reporter at TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

The City-County Observer posted this article without bias or editing.