County Government serves as one of the closest bodies of government to the citizens it serves. It is responsible for things like roads and bridges, setting budgets, passing resolutions, maintaining jails, overseeing voter registration, collect property tax and assessing property value. Elected officials have specific functions and responsibilities within the County Government. The framers of our country did not make provisions in the Constitution for local government. County Government operates as an extension of the State Government. You could think of County Government as administrative units throughout the state. County Government is set up to have a system of checks and balances through elected officials, diversification of powers, and Boards and Commissions. County Government is structured in such a way that trust, cooperation, and teamwork is required among elected officials and citizens. In my blog series, “What is a…”, I will summarize the powers and responsibilities of each elected official in County Government. In the first article of the blog series, I will focus on the role the County Commissioners have in local government. My goal is for you to have a better understanding of how the County Government works for you.
With about half of Indiana’s county jails overcrowded, many sheriffs are looking at ways to accommodate a growing prisoner population. Indiana counties are looking to either expand their current facilities or build new jails. According to the Vera Institute, an independent research group that analyzes criminal justice systems across the US, Indiana is the only state that saw an increase to county jail prisoner population, which was a 32% growth or higher, during the years of 2016 and 2017.
The surge in local county jail populations may lead some to believe that more crimes than ever are being committed. Some may think that law enforcement is arresting anyone they can just to fill the jails. That doesn’t seem to be the case though. A look at changes to felony classifications through House Enrolled Act 1006 is needed to understand how State decisions affect people on a local level.
Before 2013, Indiana had 4 classifications of felony offenses, Class A-D; “A” being the most serious offenses and “D” the least serious offenses. In 2013, House Enrolled Act 1006 established 6 levels of felony offenses, Level 1-6; Level 1 is the most serious offenses and Level 6 is the least serious offenses. Murder has a classification of its own.
Before 2015, all felony offenders served their sentences at an Indiana Department of Corrections facilities. In 2015, a separate House Enrolled Act 1006 was enacted. This second Act stated that all Level 6 offenders would serve their sentences in county jails rather than DOC facilities. Huntington County has not been immune to the effects these changes have had on county jails across the state.
The Huntington County Jail was built to house 99 prisoners. In 2019, the average daily population of the jail is 141. As of November 21, 2019, 68 of those prisoners were Level 6 offenders who would have served their sentences at a DOC facility several years ago. The soaring jail population is not caused by law enforcement arresting people for low-level offenses to fill their jails. If the Level 6 offenders were serving their sentence in a DOC facility, the average daily population of the Huntington County Jail would be around 73 prisoners.
The added prisoner population puts a strain on staff and funding. When Indiana remanded the Level 6 offenders to county jail they also allocated a budget of $37.50 a day that is paid to the county. According to the Indiana Sheriff’s Association, the need is more in the area of $55.00 a day. Sheriffs all over Indiana are now faced with overcrowded jails, requiring more staffing, that are underfunded by the State.
The Huntington County Sheriff’s Department and Jail Expansion have officially started with a new parking lot. The parking lot will be located across from the Sheriff’s Department on E. State St. This is a much-needed expansion to parking to accommodate employees and day to day operations of the Sheriff’s Department and Jail. The parking lot will, hopefully, receive blacktop on one half of it next week. The other half will be completed later. The uncompleted area will be used as a staging area for future construction.
The new addition of a parking lot across the street from the Sheriff’s Department does not effect the Schnitz property, also known locally as Woody’s property.
The property highlighted in bold red is the end of the Schnitz property line. Directly adjacent to the Schnitz line begins the parcels owned by Board of Commissioners of Huntington County.
The new parking lot is located between the Schnitz property and a Metronet property.
Highlighted in bold red is the location of the new parking lot for the Sheriff’s Department.
Huntington County Commissioners From left to right: Larry Buzzard, Tom Wall, Rob Miller
In the last blog post What is County Government, you learned that County Government is an arm of State Government. You also learned that County Government is one of the closest forms of government to the people it serves. Now, you’ll learn about what a county commissioner does on a day-to-day basis to improve your quality of life. County commissioners come from diverse backgrounds. They must establish strong, working relationships with other officials and the public. County commissioners have a multitude of responsibilities and duties. County commissioners can be farmers, teachers, doctors, homemakers, college students, truck driver, the list goes on. Anyone that meets the state requirements can be elected as a county commissioner. Huntington County is divided into 3 districts. To be put on a ballot the candidate must live in the district that they want to be elected to. However, any registered voter in the county can vote for them. For example, in 2020, Tom Wall (District 3) and Larry Buzzard (District 2) will seek re-election; voters can cast a vote for both, Tom Wall AND Larry Buzzard, because they are running for office in separate districts. Huntington County has 3 County Commissioners, Larry Buzzard, Rob Miller, and Tom Wall. It is very important for county commissioners to be engaged with the public. They are on duty at any time of day. Part of the job of a commissioner is talking to the public. A simple trip to the grocery store could result in information from a concerned citizen about street lighting, a safety complaint or tax questions. Commissioners rely on and welcome the public’s input. Community functions, such as, ice cream socials, festivals, business openings, etc., are a great way for commissioners to connect with their constituency. Just as important as working with the public is having strong, working relationships with each other. The 3 county commissioners should work as a cohesive group. Creating an air of teamwork and building trust among the 3 commissioners is vital because any resolutions, budgets or ordinances require a two- thirds majority vote. The county commissioners should have a good understanding of the roles and job descriptions of other officials in the County Government like the Sheriff, Clerk of Courts, Recorder, etc. It is important for commissioners to be good decision-makers and data gatherers. As the executives of County Government they approve all policies, contracts, and agreements. No elected official or employee of the county can make an agreement or contract with an outside agency without the approval of the majority of the Board of Commissioners. While a county commissioners’ job is considered part-time, in reality, it is a 24 hour a day job. Meetings are a major part of a commissioner’s duties. Huntington County Board Of Commissioners meet every other Monday for regular meetings. Meetings for Boards & Commissions also fill their time. A county commissioner’s list of responsibilities is vast. For starters, they maintain and control all buildings and property owned by the county. The commissioners also oversee all of the county vehicles, including the sheriff department’s vehicles. They are responsible for roads, bridges, and traffic control in the county. Commissioners work with the election board to administer elections. They oversee all wages and benefits to county employees, as well as, all hiring and firing. Commissioners also work to set up economic development programs to attract and keep employers. They serve on numerous Boards & Commissions, such as Drainage Board, Huntington County Public Safety Dispatch Board and Job Classification & Wage Compensation Committee. This is not even close to a complete list of commissioners’ responsibilities, but it gives a good idea of how diverse a day can be for them. Hopefully, this gives you a better understanding of how Huntington County Commissioners work within the County Government and how they impact your life. There is a constant tone of co-operation through Huntington County Government to keep it working for the people it serves.
For a more detailed explanation of a County Commissioners’ role and responsibilities view an informative pamphlet here.
Tom Wall 