The budget now goes to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) for final approval before the final tax rates can be established.

Budget consultant Steve Dyson pointed out that the budget is within a 4 percent increase and estimates that by the end of 2009 the remaining balance should be in the $2 million range.

The council voted 6-1 to create a new county position -- Computer Technican/IT Network Administrator as requested by the Greene County Commissioners. Councilman Brent Murray opposed the action.

Commissioner Bill Sipes made the formal request and presented a job description as a follow up to budget talks earlier this month when the county council "zeroed out" a request by the commissioners to pay the new IT person up to $40,000 in the 2009 budget.

The action was taken because the county council had not formally created that position -- as is statutory required prior to the funding request.

However, in March the commissioners agreed to move Chuck Long from the highway department to a part-time IT position working along side contractor IT consultant Randy Cleaver for the remainder of the 2008 calendar year.

Long has six computer administration and security certifications from Microsoft, Inc. and had been with Cleaver for several months learning the computer systems now in use.

Cleaver, who operates Cleaver Cabling and Consulting of Martinsville, has been contracted for several years by the county to provide IT services on a part-time basis at an hourly rate of $60 per hour. His hourly rate, exceeded the amount the commissioners had proposed in the original budget to pay an IT person for the entire year, according to Sipes.

Long, who first started working for the county highway department as a mower operator in 1981, saw his job change in 2003. Long recalled that former highway superintendent Mike Hennette came over to the east side garage where he worked and summoned his help because he was experiencing some computer problems in the office. Long was soon named network system administrator for the highway department by Hennette.

He stayed in that position until March when his role changed at the direction of the county commissioners.

However, the idea of adding him to a full time computer tech/network administrator position, was snagged during the recent budget talks when the county council pointed out that no position for Long or any other person to fill the IT job had been created.

Hiring of the individual to fill the job is the responsibility of the county commissioners.

"We would like you (the county council) to create this position and fund it for year 2009," Sipes said. "It is going to be almost imperative for us to have someone here five days a week...I just don't think we can function without person in this position."

Once the position was created Monday, a long discussion developed when the council talked about a salary for the new IT person.

It took three votes before the council could agree on a maximum salary to pay for the new job.

Councilman John Wilkes suggested putting the $40,000 back into the General Fund budget to pay the new computer tech/IT network administrator. He stressed that this individual would be available to work on computers in any county office -- not just the courthouse.

Councilman Brent Murray suggested starting the person at $25,000 and "see how they worked out" and maybe increase it the second year.

Wilkes quickly replied, "That's too low. I wouldn't go a nickel less than $35,000. That's the minimum I would go."

To compromise, Councilman Ed Michael made a motion to pay $35,000 for the new position. This would include full benefits including a PERF retirement contribution by the county.

"You are not going to get an IT person for $25,000," Michael stressed. "Whoever it is, give them a chance to prove themselves. If they are worth $40,000 you'll know it next year (2010) budget. If you start on top, then next year it's going to be $45,000."

That motion earned the majority of the council's support by a 4-3 vote -- but was not passed because at least five votes are required for items involving salary.

Councilmen William "Butch" Brown, Ed Michael, John Wilkes and Ken Gremore voted for the motion. Councilmen Ed Cullison, Jim Oliphant and Brent Murray opposed it.

After some more discussion, a second motion calling for a $35,000 salary with full benefits was made and the exact same vote was cast -- still one vote short of passage.

After the vote, Wilkes quipped, "Would you go with $34,999?".

Sipes appealed for adequate funding for the job by saying, "What amazes me is what we have been paying a computer IT person for the last three to four years part-time (Cleaver) and now we are nit-picking on paying a full-time portion of what we have been paying a guy for two days a week. It's amazing to me. This county needs a qualified full time IT person. We can't function in some of these offices without a computer."

Sipes told the council, "I know what it takes to hire a qualified person...and I know what went on for the last two years and you've funded that thing for much more than $35,000 for two days a week. So that's amazing to me. If you want to hire that guy (Cleaver) for five days a week it would only cost you about $120,000 probably a year."

He concluded by saying, "You make it almost impossible for the commissioners to hire someone for the lower salary."

Councilman Cullison said he was thinking more along the lines of $32,500 maximum for the job and he was leaning toward $30,000 to start.

Councilman Michael then made a new motion to pay the IT person $32,500 with full benefits.

That motion was approved by a 5-2 vote. Councilmen Gremore and Brown cast the dissenting votes.

Councilman Wilkes noted he was reluctant to vote for the lower salary, but he added, "We have to have an IT person and if we can't get one for $32,500, then we'll just have to come back to the table and make that decision later."

The council also approved moving the office manager position for the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District from a three-days-a-week part-time position to a 40-hour per week full time job.

The idea was tabled at the budget talks, but at the suggestion of councilman Wilkes, the job status was re-visited.

"I just feel we should do more for them," Wilkes said pointing toward grant applications and extra work that has been generated because of the flooding in June.

The council agreed to make the position a third deputy classification with an annual salary of $21,030 with full benefits -- including PERF retirement.

Also relating to the budget, the council voted to grant the drug and alcohol coordinator a $1,000 annual raise -- the same as the other full-time county employees.

Superior Judge J. David Holt had requested the salary be increased by $3,000 in his 2009 budget proposal.