County Looks At Lean Budget, Token Raises
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Kosciusko County - like virtually every other county in the state - is feeling a financial pinch during its current budget cycle.
Monday, at Kosciusko County Council's first of three 2004 budget hearings, council chairman Harold Jones said at least three factors - all out of the county's hands - are putting a financial burden on the county.
First, the county's share of the County Option Income Tax is being reduced this year by 10 percent by the state because the state claims it overestimated the county's share. Secondly, the low interest rates are bringing in less money for the county. And third, the state has reduced the county's maximum tax levy.
With that in mind, Jones said, the budget hearings and decisions all are preliminary. "We are kind of leaving everything open at this point," he said.
Jones then turned the next part of the meeting over to councilman Brad Tandy, who serves on the wage committee with councilman Larry Teghtmeyer and county commissioner Brad Jackson.
Usually, the wage committee makes its recommendations on the third and last night of the budget hearings. However, due to the county's financial situation this year, Tandy said, they were going to start off with the wage committee's recommendations on the first night.
"Our goal is to maintain what we have," he said, so no lay-offs will be required nor will the departments have to make any budget cuts.
The county's operating budget is not growing, he said, and has actually been going down over the past couple of years. Tandy said they are trying to maintain it as it is with absolutely no increase.
With the county employees' medical insurance rising 12 to 13 percent, to approximately $1.2 million, Tandy said they hope to approve a small raise to the employees to offset the increase in how much the employees will pay for their insurance.
With the insurance increase, it is estimated employees on the single insurance plan will experience an increase of about $80 per year. The family plan will increase approximately $210 for the year.
The wage committee recommended, and by a vote of 6 to 1 the council approved, a wage increase of $300 to all full-time employees. According to information provided by the wage committee, the wage increase coupled with the increase in years of service or longevity would mean a full-time employee should realize an increase in pay even with the rising insurance costs. Raises are being supported so employees will not receive less pay in 2004 than they did in 2003. This includes no raises for part-time employees, no increases for township trustees and no increase for commissioners nor county councilmen.
"We really feel that's all we can do this year," Tandy said.
If the county were to add any new positions, though, the council would have to rethink if it could give any raises at all.
Voting against the wage recommendations was councilwoman Charlene Knispel, who didn't think $300 was enough for the county's full-time employees. She said the council should not approve increases for any of the elected officials or department heads and should raise the $300 to $500. She said she worried about the county losing "some people we don't want to lose."
Also to help the county financially, this year only money from the county's cumulative fund will be used to pay for computers and new sheriff's department vehicles.
In an effort to reduce costs for office supplies, the county will establish central purchasing, Tandy said. Included in the commissioners' budget is $100,000 to cover office supplies.
County departments will have to continue to make requests for capital outlays to the county commissioners for approval and payment through the commissioners' budget. The county highway department is excluded because its monies do not come from property taxes but from other taxes such as the gasoline tax.
Some of the other wage committee recommendations the county council approved Monday included:
• Not to create a new bailiff position to provide order and security in the county courtrooms. The wage committee holds "the belief ... that this function can be most effectively serviced through the sheriff's security officers located in the courthouse."
According to Tandy, the council expects a satisfactory resolution to the issue before the end of the year. Failure to address this issue appropriately by year's end will require the council to take further action.
The matter "would require us to do some micro-management, which we prefer not to do," said Tandy.
• Not to approve a drug and alcohol probation officer assistant for Superior Courts II and III.
• Not to add another caseworker for the child support enforcement office. A new caseworker was added March 1.
• Because of leap year, 262 days need to be budgeted in 2004, a cost of approximately $33,000 for the one extra day for all county general departments.
Members of the county council are Tandy, Teghtmeyer, Knispel, John Kinsey, Maurice Beer, Tom Anglin and Jones. [[In-content Ad]]
Kosciusko County - like virtually every other county in the state - is feeling a financial pinch during its current budget cycle.
Monday, at Kosciusko County Council's first of three 2004 budget hearings, council chairman Harold Jones said at least three factors - all out of the county's hands - are putting a financial burden on the county.
First, the county's share of the County Option Income Tax is being reduced this year by 10 percent by the state because the state claims it overestimated the county's share. Secondly, the low interest rates are bringing in less money for the county. And third, the state has reduced the county's maximum tax levy.
With that in mind, Jones said, the budget hearings and decisions all are preliminary. "We are kind of leaving everything open at this point," he said.
Jones then turned the next part of the meeting over to councilman Brad Tandy, who serves on the wage committee with councilman Larry Teghtmeyer and county commissioner Brad Jackson.
Usually, the wage committee makes its recommendations on the third and last night of the budget hearings. However, due to the county's financial situation this year, Tandy said, they were going to start off with the wage committee's recommendations on the first night.
"Our goal is to maintain what we have," he said, so no lay-offs will be required nor will the departments have to make any budget cuts.
The county's operating budget is not growing, he said, and has actually been going down over the past couple of years. Tandy said they are trying to maintain it as it is with absolutely no increase.
With the county employees' medical insurance rising 12 to 13 percent, to approximately $1.2 million, Tandy said they hope to approve a small raise to the employees to offset the increase in how much the employees will pay for their insurance.
With the insurance increase, it is estimated employees on the single insurance plan will experience an increase of about $80 per year. The family plan will increase approximately $210 for the year.
The wage committee recommended, and by a vote of 6 to 1 the council approved, a wage increase of $300 to all full-time employees. According to information provided by the wage committee, the wage increase coupled with the increase in years of service or longevity would mean a full-time employee should realize an increase in pay even with the rising insurance costs. Raises are being supported so employees will not receive less pay in 2004 than they did in 2003. This includes no raises for part-time employees, no increases for township trustees and no increase for commissioners nor county councilmen.
"We really feel that's all we can do this year," Tandy said.
If the county were to add any new positions, though, the council would have to rethink if it could give any raises at all.
Voting against the wage recommendations was councilwoman Charlene Knispel, who didn't think $300 was enough for the county's full-time employees. She said the council should not approve increases for any of the elected officials or department heads and should raise the $300 to $500. She said she worried about the county losing "some people we don't want to lose."
Also to help the county financially, this year only money from the county's cumulative fund will be used to pay for computers and new sheriff's department vehicles.
In an effort to reduce costs for office supplies, the county will establish central purchasing, Tandy said. Included in the commissioners' budget is $100,000 to cover office supplies.
County departments will have to continue to make requests for capital outlays to the county commissioners for approval and payment through the commissioners' budget. The county highway department is excluded because its monies do not come from property taxes but from other taxes such as the gasoline tax.
Some of the other wage committee recommendations the county council approved Monday included:
• Not to create a new bailiff position to provide order and security in the county courtrooms. The wage committee holds "the belief ... that this function can be most effectively serviced through the sheriff's security officers located in the courthouse."
According to Tandy, the council expects a satisfactory resolution to the issue before the end of the year. Failure to address this issue appropriately by year's end will require the council to take further action.
The matter "would require us to do some micro-management, which we prefer not to do," said Tandy.
• Not to approve a drug and alcohol probation officer assistant for Superior Courts II and III.
• Not to add another caseworker for the child support enforcement office. A new caseworker was added March 1.
• Because of leap year, 262 days need to be budgeted in 2004, a cost of approximately $33,000 for the one extra day for all county general departments.
Members of the county council are Tandy, Teghtmeyer, Knispel, John Kinsey, Maurice Beer, Tom Anglin and Jones. [[In-content Ad]]