Monroe County Council approves adding POs for new court
August 19, 2005
Submitted by Linda Brady
Chief Probation Officer, Monroe Circuit Court

This past spring, the Indiana General Assembly approved adding two new courts (judges) for Monroe County.  The first court will be added January 1, 2006; the second court will be added January 1, 2008. 

The Monroe County Council conducted the 2006 county budget hearings this past week.  As part of adding the new court, during the 2006 county budget process, the Monroe Circuit Court Board of Judges requested that the County Council approve the hiring of six additional probation officers. 

Judges Michael Hoff and Randy Bridges informed the County Council that, per Indiana Probation Workload Measures, the county really needs eight more probation officers than the current 43 to have workloads the state recommends as appropriate.  For the past several years, the Adult Division of the Probation Department has, on average, more than 1,000 felons and nearly 1,000 misdemeanants under probation supervision at any one time.  The average Adult Probation Officer supervises a caseload of 158 offenders, with more than half of the cases being felonies.  Judge Bridges informed the County Council that appropriate probation supervision is crucial to public safety.  

The salaries for the new judges will be paid primarily by the state, the costs for all other related personnel, supplies and equipment must be paid by the county.  Pursuant to Indiana law, the costs of starting and operating a new court may be covered by an increase in local property taxes.  On August 18th, the Monroe County Council approved an appeal for a $1.48 million property tax increase in 2006 to cover the added costs for Monroe County’s new court.  The request for adding six new probation officers was approved as part of the tax increase appeal.  The tax increase appeal must be approved by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance before it can take effect.  If approved, the six new probation officer positions would be funded effective January 1, 2006