White County Commission reluctantly approves indigent service budget

CLEVELAND - The White County Board of Commissioners was split in its vote Monday night to approve the Enotah Judicial Circuit Public Defender's Office 2013 indigent service budget agreement.

The vote was 3-2, with commissioners Craig Bryant and Edwin Nix voting no.

They cited at least two factors for their vote against the spending plan. It was due last July and was just recently presented for approval. Second, the budget contained an item that provided 14.9 percent state mandated retirement funding.

Commissioner Nix said the latter was the biggest factor in his decision to vote no.

"I don't feel like that we should be funding those kind of retirement funds at 14.9 percent for state employees who get paid with county money. The county employees work just as hard as state employees. We took their retirement away. We can't make contributions to them, yet the state looks at us and says you're going to have to give our employees a 14.9 percent contribution for their retirement, whether you like it or not. I just wanted to make a statement, I don't like it."

The agreement was approved with a condition. No funds will be allocated next year until a budget has been submitted and approved.

"This is embarrassing for the indigent defense office," commission chairman Travis Turner said.

"If we approve it, we all reluctantly approve it," Turner said prior to the vote.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/3/258993