By Meladi Brewer
DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — The Darke County Board of Commissioners met Monday to discuss the public defender commission and authorize expenditures for the ARPA. Commissioners Matt Aultman and Larry Holmes were present.

The board approved Resolution (R-362-2021) for the re-appointments to Public Defender Commission. The board has two members who have terms that will expire in December, so it is appointing Scott Zumbrink and Travis Fliehman who have both agreed to serve another four year term.

“Since Darke County does not have a public defender office, we go out and we have an independent lawyer within the county that creates this position,” Aultman said. “The county on their side has individuals that overlook the contract with these lawyers providing the service within the county.”

The two individuals the commissioners appointed on Monday have both previously served on the commission and are interested in being re-appointed for the next four years for a term ending in 2025.

Next the commissioners approved Resolution (R- 363-2021) authorizing expenditures from the U.S. American Rescue Plan Act. The state and local aid program funds 145 in the amount $19,955 for the company SHI International Corporation for computer servers and related equipment for the Darke County Health Department.

“This is part of the allocation funds that we got,” Aultman said. “We have to go through a process, and all the stuff we approved previously has all been looked through. We’ve got a matter of opinion from the prosecuting attorney, the health department, and our independent council signed off on this being an approved purchase.”

The Darke County Board of Commissioners meets every Monday and Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at their office located at 520 S. Broadway Street in Greenville. To contact the office, call 937-547-7370.

To contact Daily Advocate reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].