By HOLLY GASKILL
Wells County contracts may change to fit new requirements in Indiana House Enrolled Act No. 1158.
The bill, authored by state Rep. Matt Lehman and first sponsored by Sen. Travis Holdman, adds a set list of requirements to contracts for county elected officers. Namely, contracts will be submitted for review by the county attorney and executive to allow for a review process. All financial contracts must also be approved by the county executive. The act takes effect July 1.
Sheriff Scott Holliday brought the matter to the County Commissioners’ attention during their meeting Monday. “There was a couple of sheriffs I think that made the news when it comes to making certain purchases or contracts that didn’t do the rest of us any favors,” Holliday said, referencing the recent investigation into purchases made by a Clark County sheriff.
Holliday said his contract has previously modeled a similar process as outlined in the act. Its requirements also apply to the county auditor, coroner, recorder, surveyor, treasurer, clerk and fiscal body.
“What it does is it just clarifies the procedure that we’ve been implementing and trying to implement throughout the last year and a half,” added County Attorney Ted Storer. “So the sheriff’s right — he’s been following many of the same processes. It also gives us … the opportunity to put some standard clauses that all officers are required to provide in the contract before they even submit it to the auditor for the commissioners to review.”
Storer said these provisions could include processes for mediation, arbitration or termination and requirements that any litigation occur within Wells County. “We can pass an ordinance by the commissioners about that process and what standard clauses that way all our county offices know what clauses need to be in the contract before they even come to us,” Storer stated.
Holliday said there should be clarification regarding the contracts he signs, particularly for the jail, which don’t ultimately cost the county money. “It’s not every contract — those (contracts with cost) have to be part of the county’s fiscal budget,” he said.
“We may have a disagreement about that share, but we can take care of that sometime,” Storer responded.
“There isn’t a lot of contracts that usually fall within my realm … that bring in funds for the county — no one wants to enter a contract that costs the county money in the county budget without anybody’s approval,” Holliday clarified. “But that the department head (needs approval on every contract), I think it’s kind of silly in my opinion. So just bring it up so we’re not dealing with this July 1, and everybody’s up to speed and aware of what we need to do with it.”
Storer suggested the county officials issue written notification of this change, and Commissioner Blake Gerber suggested they could discuss it during their June employee meeting.
During his regular report, Holliday advised there were 68 inmates being housed in the Wells County Jail — 39 were pre-trial holds for the Circuit Court, 21 for the Superior Court, six from the Department of Correction and one Level 6 felon. By Wednesday’s Wells County Council meeting, the total population had increased by one but the breakdown had no changes.
holly@news-banner.com
