The City-County Observer is excited to announce State Auditor Suzanne Crouch as our next “Outstanding Community Services Award” (“MOLE AWARD”) winners for 2015. This years awards luncheon is held at Tropicana-Evansville Walnut rooms A and B. The registration begin at 11:30 am, the event officially starts at 12 noon on October 26, 2015. Reservations for this event may be obtain by calling Mollie Drake Schreiber at 812-760-4233 or e-email her at mdarke07@yahoo.com. Deadline for registration is October 15, 2014. Last years event was a sellout.

THIS YEARS OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICES (MOLE AWARD) WINNER is popular Indiana State Auditor Suzanne Crouch from Vanderburgh County.

Appointed as Indiana’s 56th State Auditor in January of 2014 and elected to that position in November 2014, Suzanne Crouch serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the State of Indiana. Auditor Crouch is a committed fiscal conservative who keeps taxpayers first, recognizing that each tax dollar is closely linked to the hard working Hoosier who earned it.

Before becoming Auditor, Crouch served as the State Representative for House District 78 which encompasses parts of Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties. She was elected to the seat in 2005, and served as the Vice Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and on the Public Health Committee. While in the House, Crouch had several legislative accomplishments. She received the 2012 Public Policy Award from the Arc of Indiana for her work with people with disabilities and was named Legislator of the Year in 2011 by the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities.

Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Crouch spent eight years as Auditor of Vanderburgh County. During that time, her office received its first clean bill of health in decades from the State Board of Accounts. Crouch then went on to serve as a Vanderburgh County Commissioner until joining the House. She presided as president of that body during her third year in office.

Auditor Crouch graduated from Mater Dei High School in Evansville. She then went on to receive her Bachelor’s Degree from Purdue University, majoring in Political Science. She has been married to her husband, Larry Downs, for 37 years and they have one grown daughter, Courtney.

Please take time and vote in today’s “Readers Poll”. Don’t miss reading today’s Feature articles because they are always an interesting read. Please scroll at the bottom of our paper so you can enjoy our creative political cartoons. Copyright 2015 City County Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without our permission.

The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Board of School Trustees tonight (9-8-15) approved the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Evansville Teachers Association. This follows the ratification by ETA members last week.

The two-year agreement includes performance-based increases that are the equivalent to at least a 2% increase in each of the next two years. Teachers receive an increase in compensation based upon being rated effective or highly effective in their evaluations, which includes student outcomes on ISTEP.

“We are so pleased to have reached this agreement by collaboratively working with the ETA leadership in less than five hours of negotiations,” said Supt. David Smith. “While other school corporations are only providing raises as stipends, the EVSC has determined a way for the increase to be added to the base pay, which benefits teachers’ overall earnings.”

Beginning in 2016-17 school year, the new base salary for an entry-level teacher will be $36,000 and the salary cap will be raised to $70,000, which should be obtainable over the next several contracts, provided state funding continues to increase.

ETA President Michael Rust said he is pleased that an agreement has been reached and ratified.  Rust thanked the members of ETA’s bargaining team for their diligent work and dedication.