Porter County Government - Extended Final Reading 2027 Budget - October 27th, 2026

Porter County Government’s extended final reading of the 2027 budget took place October 27, 2026. The Council approved a $400,000 appropriation to the Family Youth Services Bureau (FYSB); a competing motion to appropriate $275,617 failed. FYSB’s board described plans for an expanded financial audit and a leadership review, and Council members asked the organization to return in January with an operational plan and progress information. A proposed juvenile mental-health crisis and bridge-therapy program involving the court and Porter-Starke Services was discussed, including an estimated $200,000 need, but no funding for it was approved at this meeting; members discussed possible future funding sources and collaboration with FYSB.

The Council approved the 2027 Foundation budget totaling $10,195,807 and the General Fund budget totaling approximately $52,165,204. It also approved funding for a sheriff’s temporary hire-ahead position, with three months of additional salary bringing the relevant salary figure to $6,133,581.72; the sheriff’s general budget total of $8,527,995 was approved. The sheriff’s requests for four additional officers and a 5% raise were not approved at this meeting, and other department staffing and pay requests remained unresolved. No contracts, RFPs, or vendor awards were identified.