Health Dept. illegally gives employee 47% raise — Now they’re requesting more money

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — REAL News Michiana has learned former Health Officer, Robert Einterz, illegally gave an employee of his office a 47% raise without getting approval from the Board of Health or the St. Joseph County Council. Now, after paying the employee the inflated salary for months without the knowledge of any elected officials, the Department of Health is requesting more money to continue to fund the employee’s position, according to sources.

It turns out, the Department of Health illegally raised Sally Dixon’s salary from $27/hr to $39.61/hr as of January 1st. Dixon is the county’s Maternal Infant Health Coordinator and has been paid through what’s called the Safety PIN (Protecting Indiana’s Newborns) grant. While money from the grant was supposed to last through much of 2023, the increase in Dixon’s salary means all of the money will be spent by next month. Now, the Department of Health is requesting money be transferred from other funds to make up the shortfall. The Department is also asking for approval of the raise retroactive to January 1st, despite already paying Dixon the inflated salary without any approval.

According to Indiana Code 36-2-5-3 — “The county fiscal body shall fix the compensation of officers, deputies and other employees whose compensation is payable from the county general fund, county highway fund, county park and recreations fund, aviation fund or any other fund for which the county auditor issues warrants for compensation.”

The code goes even further in regard to Health Departments, adding a layer to the salary request process.

“The board of each local health department shall prescribe the duties of all its officers and employees, recommend the number of positions, describe and classify positions and services, adopt schedules of compensation, and hire and contract with persons to assist in the development of schedule of compensation.”

Neither the Board of Health or the County Council were previously involved in the salary decision.

CONTROVERSIAL POSITION

There is also some major controversy regarding Dixon’s position to begin with. While the Safety PIN grant is clear that it is meant to save the lives of babies (see below), Dixon has been a huge proponent of killing unborn children.

Dixon was integral in the crafting of the Health Department’s pro-abortion stance sent out in a press release in June of 2022, after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. A copy of that release can be seen below.

Further, Dixon was also responsible for spearheading a “Birth Equity” seminar and study, in which she hired an out of state consultant/abortion activist to speak and give recommendations about phantom racist doctors causing black babies to die. It turns out, the consultant is a disgraced doctor who lost her medical license multiple times, practiced medicine illegally, was forced to step down as the health director of New Orleans and was sued for malpractice multiple times for killing a mother and a baby.

Want to keep seeing the news the legacy media just won’t report? REAL News Michiana relies on member subscribers to keep going. As a subscriber, you’ll get an RNM mug and invites to special events. Help us continue to expose corruption and report on the news conservatives care about by subscribing here.