County sets hourly rate for deputy health officer at $70; council withdraws related items
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Summary
The Vanderburgh County Council approved setting an hourly rate of $70 for a part‑time deputy health officer and withdrew two other public‑health line items; county health officials said the position is intended to provide physician coverage and transfer knowledge over several hours per week.
Vanderburgh County Council members approved setting an hourly rate of $70 for a part‑time deputy health officer and withdrew two related public‑health requests from the agenda.
Joe (health department representative) told the council the deputy would likely work four to five hours a week and that the department anticipates spending roughly $9,000–$10,000 for the rest of the year on that position, rather than the $80,000 annual figure that appeared as a placeholder in budget paperwork. "We looked at the rate for the full time health officer ... and kind of found something in between," Joe said, explaining why the department proposed the $70 hourly rate and why the position is being filled as a physician‑level deputy who could later transition into a full health‑officer role.
Council members approved the motion to withdraw H1, H2 and I1 from the agenda, set H3 (the hourly rate for the deputy health officer) at $70 per hour and approved I2 and I3 as listed. The council voted by voice; no roll‑call objections were recorded.
Health department staff said the deputy appointment is intended to allow knowledge transfer from the current health officer and to prepare for a potential future handover; the position’s limited weekly hours and physician qualifications informed the hourly rate decision.