Scholarships and the 2005 budget highlighted the Kosciusko County Council meeting Wednesday.

Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine told the council Wednesday he wants to offer scholarships in memory of Detective Sgt. Phillip Hochstetler.

On June 29, 1994, Hochstetler, 31, was shot to death by David Swearingen while Hochstetler was at the residence investigating Swearingen as a possible burglary suspect. Hochstetler, along with Swearingen's two young children, were killed that night. A three-day manhunt ensued and ended with a deadly shootout on Center Street and Swearingen's death.

Rovenstine said the money will come from the department's donation account. The account was established several years ago for people to make donations to the sheriff's department. Rovenstine said he wants to offer two $1,000 scholarships each year for the next two years. After that, the county council and the next sheriff can review the scholarships to see if they want to continue them and if there is enough money to keep awarding them. The county council approved the scholarships.

The scholarships will be given to a high school senior planning on attending college to study law enforcement. Hochstetler was studying law enforcement in college when he was killed.

Of the scholarships, councilman Tom Anglin said they were a "good idea."

The 2005 Kosciusko County budget unanimously was approved "as it's written at this time."

The amounts of the budget include: $15,796,465 for county general; $528,353 for county health; $700,000 for cumulative bridge; $150,000, cumulative jail; and $350,138 for reassessment; for a total 2005 budget of $17,524,956.

The total the county plans to collect in taxes for the budget is estimated at $7,800,865, a difference of $312,112 more than the working maximum levy. "That's very close to where we needed to be, where we wanted to be," said Sue Ann Mitchell, Kosciusko County Auditor.

The 2005 projected tax rate is $0.01854.

Larry Teghtmeyer, county councilman, said it appears they increased their budget, but the council actually is keeping their options open until they are clear where they are with the County Option Income Tax Fund money. At the end of the year, he said, they will adjust the budget downward.

The 2004 budget was $17,669,362.

Mitchell said the county should know how much money they will receive for COIT by Oct. 1.

According to information from the State of Indiana Department of Revenue to Mitchell, the Indiana Department of Revenue certifies the amount of $3,933,139 as the Economic Development Income Tax to be distributed to Kosciusko County in 2005 and $8,470,025 as the COIT to be distributed. More information to the county is expected from the Indiana State Budget Agency by the Oct. 1 deadline.

In other business, the council also:

• Approved transfers of: $2,500, Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission; $1,242, Circuit and Superior Court I; $21,600, county highway; $9,000, county highway; and $1,500, Emergency 911.

• Approved additional appropriations of: $70, prosecutor; $25,000 sheriff's department; and $5,900, drug and alcohol fund.

• Appointed Dana Krull to the newly established North Webster/Tippecanoe Township library board.

• Heard a brief report from the Kosciusko County Tobacco Control Alliance about who they are and what they do. For more information about the grassroots organization, visit online at www.abovethecloud.org

Members of the Kosciusko County Council are chairman Harold Jones, vice chairman Tom Anglin, John Kinsey, Larry Teghtmeyer, Charlene Knispel, Brad Tandy and Maurice Beer. They regularly meet at 7 p.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw, on the second Thursday of every month. The Kosciusko County Web site is at www.kcgov.com [[In-content Ad]]