A committee member says the general-fund request for three mental health court positions will not be reopened

What happened

Vigo County Superior Court Chief Judge Charles Johnson asked the budget committee to reconsider funding three Mental Health Treatment Court case-manager positions from the county general fund, after the committee had turned down the request at a prior meeting (1:04:25, 1:05:01). A committee member said the committee would not reopen the general-fund request because other county departments had also been told this budget cycle that new positions would not be funded and it would not be fair to treat one department differently (1:10:48). The member said the opioid settlement fund would instead go to the county commissioners, who could decide whether to fund the positions that way (1:11:51).

The outcome

No general-fund money was approved for the positions; Johnson said he would now work with the county commissioners to try to get them funded through the opioid settlement fund instead (1:15:13).

Sources

• Judge Charles Johnson raises the issue, 1:04:25
• Judge asks to reopen the positions' funding, 1:05:01
• Committee member declines to reopen the general fund, 1:10:48
• Committee member outlines the opioid-fund plan, 1:11:51
• Judge explains positions help avoid jail overcrowding, 1:09:11
• Judge says he'll follow up with commissioners, 1:15:13

Also known as: RISE case managers · Mental Health Treatment Court · Judge Charles Johnson · Division 5 court staffing · jail overcrowding