< Back to Previous Page

County Council funding cut for family services to be appealed

The Porter County Council made a decision to cut the 2008 budget for services provided to families and children in abuse and neglect cases is being reviewed. The Indiana Department of Government Finance will be asked to reapply for the $8.2 million budget for the Porter County Office of Child Services (DCS), the department provides family support, including housing placement of kids removed from their families due to abuse. The county in its final day of budget hearings, voted to slash the requested budget a lower five million. County members who voted for the cut took the position that the budget is excessive, and the state should pay the bill since the Children Services is a state agency.

A county official said council member cannot slash the budgets proposed by the Children Services. They can, however, cut the proposed tax rate, but only if the rate established is enough to cover the full budget. If that does not happen, state law requires that county finance auditors file an appeal on behalf of the DCS seeking to restore the full budget. That appeal process is in the works, said the Director of the Porter County Children Services. Supporters of the appeal would not speculate on what might happen, noting that the final authority rests with the Indiana Finance Department, which has the authority to change any budget, rate or levy for any taxing entity.

At the same time, one proposal pending statewide is to transfer the full costs of the children services budgets to the state. That is one option under consideration by the Commission on State Tax, a panel looking at ways to reform Indiana’s property tax system. Richey, who assumed the Porter County director’s position just a few months ago, said she suspects there is widespread confusion about what the county funds for the children services. Although the DCS is a state agency, it has offices in each of Indiana’s 92 counties. The fund at the heart of the dispute is called the Family & Children Fund. In next year's budget proposal, property taxpayers are expected to pay $5.1 million of the total $8.2 million budget, with the remainder coming from last year's revenue. Even before the council members slashed the budget, the proposal represented a savings over this year’s tax levy of an estimated $6 million.

Richey emphasized that the Family and Children Fund doesn’t pay for DCS salaries, offices, power, or water but covers only services provided to Porter County children and families, primarily in abuse cases. Those services include foster care, group homes, relaxation services for mentally disturbed kids, psychiatric facilities, parenting advise, psychological survey, substance abuse treatment, and adoption services. Most of the expenses involved are the result of the court.