Building commissioner resigns, code enforcement director out. Here's what we know

Sarah Loesch, Evansville Courier & Press
·3 min read

EVANSVILLE — The Evansville-Vanderburgh County Building Commission now has two of its top positions empty just six months after new leadership was put in place.

Building Commissioner Jerry Grannan has resigned. Code Enforcement Coordinator Crystal Ritter is "no longer employed by the city," according to Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.

Regarding Grannan's resignation, Winnecke said he was grateful for the "energy and passion" he brought to the position. Grannan previously served as the director of Burdette Park in Vanderburgh County.

The building commission is a joint city-county department, tasked with regulating new construction, flood plain management, property maintenance enforcement and more, is now without people in two of its leadership positions.

In a letter shared with the Courier & Press, the Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners requested Winnecke not make any decisions about hiring for the position until commissioners can meet with the mayor.

The letter, noting the position's turnover in recent years, is signed by commission president Cheryl Musgrave, and includes the names of the two other commissioners, Ben Shoulders and Justin Elpers.

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How long had Grannan been the building commissioner?

Grannan took over as building commissioner last year after having served as director at Burdette Park.

At his first budget hearing for the department, on Aug. 17, 2022, Grannan said he was handed the budget three days prior.

"I'm proud to be part of this department. They do an incredible job," he said. "(I) look forward to using my construction and real estate background."

At that time, two other members of the department were recognized, including Ritter, who had been with the department since at least 2009.

Will Winnecke name a permanent replacement before leaving office?

The commissioner position has not experienced the same longevity. The city will now be looking for a new director for the third time since 2019. Winnecke has said he will name an interim commissioner, then seek a permanent replacement for Grannan. When that person is hired, they could then work to fill the code enforcement coordinator position.

Winnecke isn't seeking re-election, so a new mayor will take office in January 2024. Winnecke has previously said his eventual departure can complicate hiring department heads.

With a director position empty in the parks department, the city has elected to fill that on an interim basis with Deputy Mayor Steve Schaefer since July 2022. When the Courier & Press spoke to Winnecke in July 2022, he said he would spend the summer looking at resumes. But his decision not to run for another term complicated making a selection.

More:Here's who's running for office in Evansville in 2023

What is the Building Commission's operating budget?

The Building Commission is a joint department, with 75% of its budget handled by the city and 25% handled by the county.

For 2023, the department makes up around $1.15 million of the city's overall budget. The county budgeted about $160,000.

The building commissioner salary was budgeted by the city for this year to be $80,800, up from $74,293 from 2022.

Indiana Gateway shows that since 2019, Ritter has been paid as the EPA director for Evansville. Previous to that she was listed as code enforcement coordinator. For 2023, the city budgeted that position to make a salary of $75,000.

What does the Building Commission do?

The building commission has been in the public eye often over the past couple of years, working major scenes such as the Weinbach Avenue house explosion last summer, and acting as a point of possible contact for tenants struggling with their living conditions.

Among the departments responsibilities:

  • Issuing building permits

  • Licensing of contractors

  • Maintaining flood plain documents and maps

  • Enforcing property maintenance code

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Jerry Grannan and Crystal Ritter leave Evansville Building Commission