To prevent as much of a financial shortfall as possible, the Kosciusko County Council Thursday approved the deletion of all "400" accounts from each department's budget.

The 400 accounts include furniture, filing cabinets, vehicles and similar items. The county commissioners' 400 account was not deleted so that if any department needed any emergency item, that department could request it from the commissioners.

Kosciusko County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell's report on the county finances helped the council make the decision. She said the county is working with a maximum levy of an estimated $7.5 million, with the total amount being levied approximately $7.4 million. The county is dipping into its operating balance by $1.3 million. However, by moving funds around, Mitchell said, they were able to reduce that to $500,000, and the county is $400,000 short of where they were last year in the operating balance.

By eliminating the 400 accounts, council president Jim Tranter said, "We're at a wash with our operating balance" for 2003. "I think we're going to be in pretty good shape" and can keep the salary increases for the county employees as "we approved for them."

The council did approve for Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine to purchase five squad cars for 2003 out of the 400 account. Each squad car will cost approximately $25,000, including equipment. The new cars are part of the vehicle rotation for the department, and five squad cars will be traded in.

Councilman Harold Jones said they can't deny the new cars because if the department gets behind in the vehicle rotation, it will cost the county more money to play catch-up.

In other business, the county council:

• Approved an additional appropriation for the county jail for $50,000 for inmate medical care.

"This is one I thought we'd avoid this year," Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine told the council. Among the reasons Rovenstine said the department needs the appropriation is that the county owes $12,000 for prescriptions for inmates and an inmate who was arrested for driving while intoxicated over a weekend had kidney failure while in the jail, costing the county approximately $15,000.

Other additional appropriations approved included: county coroner, $10,000; county commissioners, $100,000 for group insurance; and health department, $6,000.

• Approved the abatement request by RVision. The company employs 600 to make travel trailers and is just south of Warsaw. The company plans to expand. Attorney Mike Miner, speaking on behalf of the company, said the county is the issuer of the bonds but has no financial obligations with it.

• Approved the following transfers: Turkey Creek Township, $200; county general fund, $315; clerk, county election board, $23,730; clerk, approximately $9,900; reassessment, $1,500; maintenance, $24,000; county coroner, $450; county sheriff, $255; drainage board, $400; county highway, $36,282.95 insurance reimbursement; county auditor, $740.06, $600 and $1,000; Wayne Township, approximately $1,300; and county prosecutor, $1,000.

• Approved having their December meeting Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. and their 2003 meetings on the second Thursday of every month.

• Approved the 2003 salary ordinance.

Members of the county council are John Kinsey, Jim Tranter, Tom Anglin, Harold Jones, Maurice Beer, Brad Tandy and Larry Teghtmeyer. [[In-content Ad]]