# Commissioner proposes funding a 3% county raise by cutting public defenders' health insurance

## What happened
Vigo County Commissioner Mike Morris told the council the commissioners are recommending a 3% pay raise for county employees, costing about $630,000, and suggested paying for it by making public defenders contractors and dropping the roughly $523,044.72 the county spends on their health insurance, plus cutting one staff position each from three offices he named as the recorder, treasurer, and area planning. Public defender's office head Gretchen Atling (probable identification) warned that dropping the insurance would put the office out of compliance with the staffing levels needed to get 40% of its costs reimbursed by the state, and that the positions are already hard to fill without it.

## The outcome
No vote was taken; the commissioner floated this as a funding option for the council to consider.

## Sources
- [3% raise, $630,000 cost](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAM5SjKj5tE&t=65)
- [Public defender insurance cut suggested](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAM5SjKj5tE&t=96)
- [Three offices named for staff cuts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAM5SjKj5tE&t=169)
- [Public defender's office response](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAM5SjKj5tE&t=200)

*Also known as: county employee raise · public defender health insurance cut · 3% pay increase · recorder, treasurer, area planning staffing cut*