With a few exceptions, the Shelby County government is under a hiring freeze until the end of the year.

The Shelby County Council has followed the lead of the County Commissioners and voted unanimously in favor of the freeze which expires on Dec. 31.

The freeze comes in the wake of limited revenues and rising costs such as health insurance.

Following the council's meeting Tuesday night, president Tony Titus (R-At Large) said he doesn't think new taxes will be needed.

“Not at this time. I mean, unfortunately it's always an option out there, but we're trying not to do that. We're trying to take care of things without having to do that, but health insurance is a killer. I mean, the public knows that in general, but the county insurance, it's good insurance, but we had a lot of claims in the last 3 or 4 years, of course it raises our premiums up,” Titus said.

Last year, the county's health insurance agent, Brady Claxton, advised the council to budget more than $4 million for insurance to cover this year.

There are a few exceptions in the ordinance enacting the hiring freeze:

• Departments may hire for a position that's grant-funded but must clear it with the County Council first;

• Current county employees may transfer or accept a promotion to an existing position;

• And a vacancy in an existing job may be filled if a department head convinces the Council that it's absolutely necessary.

Complicating matters, the hiring freeze is happening at a time when the county courts and prosecutor are facing difficulties with caseloads and other issues.

The County Council approved a request by Shelby Superior Court 1 Judge Kent Apsley for nearly $39,000 to buy new computers and related items for all three courts he said were much needed.

“The computers in two of our three courtrooms are coming up on what should be their third replacement cycle, if you're on the county's usual every 3-year computer replacement cycle so, they're that old. The software we're running on is the same package that was purchased when we moved back in the courthouse so that's 20 years old,” he said.

And County Prosecutor Brad Landwerlen told the Council he should know soon if he'll get a grant for a new deputy prosecutor to help with a growing caseload.

In the County Council's pre-meeting, right before its regular meeting Tuesday, Landwerlen cautioned the Council about the consequences of getting live dealers at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino.

Under current law, live dealers will be allowed in 2021, and that could happen this year if the law is changed.

Landwerlen said he's talked to a number of people in other locations, and a spike in crime and court cases is almost certain with live dealers at the casino.