County Formulating 2000 Budget
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The Kosciusko County Council got down to the serious business of formulating the county's 2000 budget this week.
But before they could get down to that item of business, they first had to address some additional budget requests for 1999.
County Administrator Ron Robinson requested $991,000 in additional appropriations related to the Justice Building expansion project.
Robinson said $400,000, to be taken from the jail fund, is for contractual services on the project for the remainder of 1999; $150,000 from the 911 fund for the purchase of radio equipment; $90,000 for unbudgeted Social Security expenses; $1,000 for paying the members of the prevailing wage committee $75 per meeting; and $350,000 from the Cumulative Jail Fund for renovations on the 911 dispatch system.
Council vice president Jim Tranter said he is concerned about the effect the additional appropriations will have on the marketing of the bonds the county is seeking to fund the expansion.
"If the timing goes just right, we could be getting these funds back once the bonds are sold," he said. "However, there's a possibility this could raise the (interest) rate we pay. But I don't see that we have any other choice."
The additional appropriations were unanimously approved.
The council then began the hearings on the departmental budgets. All departmental budgets, with only slight modifications, were approved. However, no salary and wage line items for full-time county employees were included in the considerations or approvals.
Tranter said those line items will be considered when the council takes up the 2000 salary ordinance.
The departmental budget requests, excluding salaries and wages, approved Monday were:
• Area Plan Commission - $46,500
• Treasurer - $64,168
• Commissioners - $3,854,926
• Auditor - $29,900
• Highway - $2,147,421
• Local Roads and Streets - $1,750,000
• Cumulative Bridge Fund - $750,000
• Maintenance - $374,581
• County Health Department - $219,932
• County Health Maintenance - $30,000
• Local Emergency Planning - $8,560
• Prenatal care - $8,560
• Welfare Department - $86,700
• Family and Children - $1,326,800
• County Coroner - $24,937
• Extension Office - $122,280
• County Surveyor - $18,669
• County Drainage Board - $48,050
• Civil Defense - $24,753
• Animal shelter - $30,000
*****
The animal shelter may get a second hearing Thursday after a presentation made at Tuesday's council meeting by Animal Welfare League treasurer Robert Brilliandt.
A budget distributed by Brilliandt included a proposed contribution of $125,000 from Kosciusko County.
He said the $30,000 agreed upon by the county when AWL originally took over the shelter was an arbitrary number negotiated by Dr. Sasso (of AWL) and county administrator Ron Robinson.
"As far as I'm concerned, this was just pulled out of the air," Brilliandt said. "I don't know where this $30,000 came from."
Acting council president Jim Tranter said the AWL appropriation may be reopened at Thursday's council meeting.
The county's need for more probation officers was addressed by Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Rex Reed when the council reviewed his budget.
"We are definitely understaffed currently" for probation officers, Reed said. That will become more of a problem soon, he said, because of recent state legislation that returns prisoners to their home county, which is supposed to have a local corrections program.
Reed said this program should be overseen by the probation department.
County Prosecutor Chuck Waggoner also told the council he wants to add personnel next year when his office focuses on crimes against children.
He said he wants to hire an investigator for crimes and an additional case worker for the child support program.
He called the number of delinquent child support cases "significant," saying the state sent Kosciusko County 479 additional potential paternity cases, and reminded the council that many of these cases may last for 20 years, until the child is out of college.
The council tabled all personnel matters until Thursday's meeting.
Departmental budgets approved Tuesday, not including salaries and wages, were:
• Soil and Water Conservation District - $34,101
• Service officer - $1,350
• Circuit and Superior I Courts - $142,980
• Superior Courts II and III - $174,690
• Prosecutor's office - $46,450
• Title IV-D (Child support) - $19,400
• Sheriff's Department - $535,574
• Jail - $391,300
• Forfeitures (office supplies, evidence, etc.) - $22,500
• 911 Fund - $456,032
• County Council - $6,440
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the courthouse to discuss salaries and township trustees' budgets. [[In-content Ad]]
The Kosciusko County Council got down to the serious business of formulating the county's 2000 budget this week.
But before they could get down to that item of business, they first had to address some additional budget requests for 1999.
County Administrator Ron Robinson requested $991,000 in additional appropriations related to the Justice Building expansion project.
Robinson said $400,000, to be taken from the jail fund, is for contractual services on the project for the remainder of 1999; $150,000 from the 911 fund for the purchase of radio equipment; $90,000 for unbudgeted Social Security expenses; $1,000 for paying the members of the prevailing wage committee $75 per meeting; and $350,000 from the Cumulative Jail Fund for renovations on the 911 dispatch system.
Council vice president Jim Tranter said he is concerned about the effect the additional appropriations will have on the marketing of the bonds the county is seeking to fund the expansion.
"If the timing goes just right, we could be getting these funds back once the bonds are sold," he said. "However, there's a possibility this could raise the (interest) rate we pay. But I don't see that we have any other choice."
The additional appropriations were unanimously approved.
The council then began the hearings on the departmental budgets. All departmental budgets, with only slight modifications, were approved. However, no salary and wage line items for full-time county employees were included in the considerations or approvals.
Tranter said those line items will be considered when the council takes up the 2000 salary ordinance.
The departmental budget requests, excluding salaries and wages, approved Monday were:
• Area Plan Commission - $46,500
• Treasurer - $64,168
• Commissioners - $3,854,926
• Auditor - $29,900
• Highway - $2,147,421
• Local Roads and Streets - $1,750,000
• Cumulative Bridge Fund - $750,000
• Maintenance - $374,581
• County Health Department - $219,932
• County Health Maintenance - $30,000
• Local Emergency Planning - $8,560
• Prenatal care - $8,560
• Welfare Department - $86,700
• Family and Children - $1,326,800
• County Coroner - $24,937
• Extension Office - $122,280
• County Surveyor - $18,669
• County Drainage Board - $48,050
• Civil Defense - $24,753
• Animal shelter - $30,000
*****
The animal shelter may get a second hearing Thursday after a presentation made at Tuesday's council meeting by Animal Welfare League treasurer Robert Brilliandt.
A budget distributed by Brilliandt included a proposed contribution of $125,000 from Kosciusko County.
He said the $30,000 agreed upon by the county when AWL originally took over the shelter was an arbitrary number negotiated by Dr. Sasso (of AWL) and county administrator Ron Robinson.
"As far as I'm concerned, this was just pulled out of the air," Brilliandt said. "I don't know where this $30,000 came from."
Acting council president Jim Tranter said the AWL appropriation may be reopened at Thursday's council meeting.
The county's need for more probation officers was addressed by Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Rex Reed when the council reviewed his budget.
"We are definitely understaffed currently" for probation officers, Reed said. That will become more of a problem soon, he said, because of recent state legislation that returns prisoners to their home county, which is supposed to have a local corrections program.
Reed said this program should be overseen by the probation department.
County Prosecutor Chuck Waggoner also told the council he wants to add personnel next year when his office focuses on crimes against children.
He said he wants to hire an investigator for crimes and an additional case worker for the child support program.
He called the number of delinquent child support cases "significant," saying the state sent Kosciusko County 479 additional potential paternity cases, and reminded the council that many of these cases may last for 20 years, until the child is out of college.
The council tabled all personnel matters until Thursday's meeting.
Departmental budgets approved Tuesday, not including salaries and wages, were:
• Soil and Water Conservation District - $34,101
• Service officer - $1,350
• Circuit and Superior I Courts - $142,980
• Superior Courts II and III - $174,690
• Prosecutor's office - $46,450
• Title IV-D (Child support) - $19,400
• Sheriff's Department - $535,574
• Jail - $391,300
• Forfeitures (office supplies, evidence, etc.) - $22,500
• 911 Fund - $456,032
• County Council - $6,440
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the courthouse to discuss salaries and township trustees' budgets. [[In-content Ad]]