Originally, the cost for Kosciusko County to purchase new voting machines from MicroVote General Corp., Indianapolis, was $880,031.

Seeking approval Thursday of three resolutions from the Kosciusko County Council to file for federal reimbursement to purchase new voting machines, county clerk Sharon Christner told the council they were able to get MicroVote to lower that cost to $755,819 to $772,819, depending on how much reimbursement the federal government provides. The cost will cover approximately 158 to 166 machines plus 55 Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant machines.

The county council still had questions, but did approve the resolutions by a vote of 5 to 1, with Bob Sanders opposed.

Kosciusko County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell provided the councilmen with copies of faxes she received Wednesday from Wayne County questioning the voting machines' ability to produce a paper trail for the votes. Sanders also read where the voting machines could be tampered with and said that concerns him.

Christner said at the polling places, it was not possible for anyone to tamper with the machines.

Councilman Larry Teghtmeyer said he thought the price of the machines would be closer to the approximate $650,000 the county is expected to receive in reimbursement. If the county is reimbursed approximately $650,000, and the machines cost approximately $772,000, the county will have to make up the $122,000 difference.

"We got it as close as we could," said Christner. The company also is providing several free items such as a printer.

"I think we were all under the impression it would come under more than that," said Harold Jones, council president.

The resolutions approved by the council, according to Christner, set up funds to pay out the monies for the machines and say the money will in fact be used to pay for the voting machines and related equipment and training.

"So far," said Christner, "I've heard everyone is getting the grant money they applied for."

Jones said the county commissioners need to know the council will fund the balance, and at this point, there is no guarantee of what that will be. The commissioners already approved the resolutions and must sign a contract with MicroVote at the next commissioners meeting.

Christner said MicroVote already provided her office with one of the voting machines Thursday morning for demonstration purposes.

In other business, the council:

• Approved an additional appropriation for the county prosecutor's office of $51,664 from the infraction deferral program fund. The money is collected through fees through the court, and County Prosecutor Steve Hearn is providing some of the monies to local law enforcement agencies so they can purchase equipment they otherwise may not be able to have.

"I think it's a good program and I move to approve it," said councilman Tom Anglin.

The appropriation includes $820 for a tazer gun for the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department courthouse security; $20,400 for the Kosciusko County Fatal Team for fatal crash equipment and $1,500 for a digital camera; $814 for the Syracuse Police Department for crime scene equipment; $1,140 for the Indiana State Police for one radar detector; $10,500 for the digital evidence lab for computers and equipment; $4,300 for the digital video laboratory for a computer server; $1,000 for the digital video laboratory for digital video recorder; $1,600 for KCSD Reserve officers for two in-car cameras; $1,590 for Mentone Police Department for two in-car cameras; and $8,000 for Syracuse PD for 10 in-car cameras.

• Heard from county administrator Ron Robinson that the county commissioners have taken on a study of the courthouse's heating and electrical needs. A presentation of the findings will be given at the Feb. 10 county council meeting. The survey, Robinson said, is not costing the county a dime.

• Heard from Mitchell that Kosciusko County made tax distributions by the end of 2004. She said 99.37 percent of property taxes were collected.

• Reaffirmed their policy that when a county employee leaves county employment, that position will be re-evaluated before it's filled.

• Approved an additional appropriation for the county prosecutor's office of $2,112 from pretrial diversion fund for workload study and an image scanner.

• Approved a transfer of $1,465 for the county clerk's office to cover the Feb. 8 special school board election. The cost includes $115 for an inspector, $95 for a judge, $95 for poll clerk, $30 for polling place, $45 for meals, $25 for legal notice, $120 for absentee travel board, $240 for absentee office and $700 for the election board.

• Approved transfers of $2,740 for the sheriff's department; $950, prosecutor; $941.85, auditor; $1,570, commissioners; $600, county coroner; $1,302, prosecutor; and $8,175 county highway.

• Approved the sheriff's donation fund and the HAZMAT donation fund.

Members of the Kosciusko County Council are Harold Jones, Tom Anglin, Charlene Knispel, John Kinsey, Larry Teghtmeyer, Brad Tandy and Bob Sanders. They met at 7 p.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw, on the second Thursday of every month. [[In-content Ad]]