County Seeks Funds From Innkeepers' Tax
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
To gain more control over county innkeepers' tax revenue, the Kosciusko County Council approved a draft for a bill for the state legislature Thursday.
Currently, all revenue from the innkeepers' tax goes to the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
According to county councilman Larry Teghtmeyer, the council had previously discussed using some of the innkeepers' tax monies the CVB receives for capital expenditures in the county. Currently, however, there is no legislation that allows counties to use those tax dollars for capital projects.
Under the council's direction, Teghtmeyer and councilman Brad Tandy, an attorney, looked into the issue and found that other counties have had their local representatives work for them to get such legislation written. The draft approved by the council will be forwarded to State Sen. Kent Adams so that if Adams approves, he can get the legislation approved at the state level for Kosciusko County.
Tandy said while looking into the matter, they looked at what they wanted to accomplish with the monies and CVB. He read what other counties do with the money from the innkeepers' tax and drafted a template of what the statute would be.
Under the template, a seven-person commission would preside over the CVB monies. Three would be appointed by the council, three by the commissioners and one by the city of Warsaw. Currently, four are appointed by the commissioners, two by the council and one by the city. The county council would have final approval over expenditures for projects.
Two separate funds would be created. Seventy-five percent of the tax funds would be used for operating expenses for the CVB. The remaining 25 percent of the funds would be placed into a capital development projects fund to be used for capital projects in the county that support tourism and recreation.
"We can craft it however we want and be as specific as we want," Tandy said of the proposed bill. He said the monies can be used only for promoting recreation and tourism in the county, but those are broad uses. He said the City-County Athletic Complex and the Greenway project are both capital projects that promote recreation and tourism in the county.
Ideally, he said, he'd like more time for each of the councilmen to look at the proposal, think it over and talk with their constituents, but said they only have about a week to get it to Adams.
County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell said the CVB is supposed to be a stand-alone not-for-profit organization and be separate from the commission except to receive money from it.
After the council approved the draft of the bill to be sent on to Adams, council president Harold Jones said, 'I think it's a step in the right direction."
In other business, the county council:
• Heard from County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell the cash balance in the cumulative jail fund is at $0 until the next tax draw, as was intended. The cumulative capital development fund is estimated at $4.6 million, with the council having "the right to spend" $1.3 million out of last year's appropriation. In the Economic Development Income Tax fund, the county has $3 million. The county has a bond payment of $946,461.25 due for the Justice Building expansion/renovation project.
• Heard from Mitchell the 2002 year-end balance for the sheriff's extradition fund is $87,730. If the county takes in $10,000 this year and spends approximately $20,000, she said, the extradition monies could last to 2010.
• Approved a transfer of $198 from the law enforcement forfeitures for the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department. The council then approved for all money from the forfeitures for the year to be automatically transferred, with a report to be given to the council at the end of the year showing how much money was transferred.
• Approved a transfer of $5,546.14 for the sheriff's department back to general repairs account. The money is from an insurance check received for repairs for a sheriff's department vehicle.
• Approved for Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine to begin the hiring process for two new jailers. The council approved for the sheriff's department to hire the two new jailers during the budget process several months ago while the council was preparing the 2003 budget.
• Elected Harold Jones as council president and Tom Anglin as vice president.
• Appointed Larry Teghtmeyer to serve as the council's representative to Kosciusko Development Inc.; John Kinsey to the Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District board; Brad Tandy and Teghtmeyer to the wage committee; and reappointed Michael Earl Barnett as the veteran's service officer.
Members of the county council are Teghtmeyer, Tandy, Jones, Anglin, Kinsey, Charlene Knispel and Maurice Beer. They meet at 7 p.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw, on the second Thursday of every month. [[In-content Ad]]
To gain more control over county innkeepers' tax revenue, the Kosciusko County Council approved a draft for a bill for the state legislature Thursday.
Currently, all revenue from the innkeepers' tax goes to the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
According to county councilman Larry Teghtmeyer, the council had previously discussed using some of the innkeepers' tax monies the CVB receives for capital expenditures in the county. Currently, however, there is no legislation that allows counties to use those tax dollars for capital projects.
Under the council's direction, Teghtmeyer and councilman Brad Tandy, an attorney, looked into the issue and found that other counties have had their local representatives work for them to get such legislation written. The draft approved by the council will be forwarded to State Sen. Kent Adams so that if Adams approves, he can get the legislation approved at the state level for Kosciusko County.
Tandy said while looking into the matter, they looked at what they wanted to accomplish with the monies and CVB. He read what other counties do with the money from the innkeepers' tax and drafted a template of what the statute would be.
Under the template, a seven-person commission would preside over the CVB monies. Three would be appointed by the council, three by the commissioners and one by the city of Warsaw. Currently, four are appointed by the commissioners, two by the council and one by the city. The county council would have final approval over expenditures for projects.
Two separate funds would be created. Seventy-five percent of the tax funds would be used for operating expenses for the CVB. The remaining 25 percent of the funds would be placed into a capital development projects fund to be used for capital projects in the county that support tourism and recreation.
"We can craft it however we want and be as specific as we want," Tandy said of the proposed bill. He said the monies can be used only for promoting recreation and tourism in the county, but those are broad uses. He said the City-County Athletic Complex and the Greenway project are both capital projects that promote recreation and tourism in the county.
Ideally, he said, he'd like more time for each of the councilmen to look at the proposal, think it over and talk with their constituents, but said they only have about a week to get it to Adams.
County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell said the CVB is supposed to be a stand-alone not-for-profit organization and be separate from the commission except to receive money from it.
After the council approved the draft of the bill to be sent on to Adams, council president Harold Jones said, 'I think it's a step in the right direction."
In other business, the county council:
• Heard from County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell the cash balance in the cumulative jail fund is at $0 until the next tax draw, as was intended. The cumulative capital development fund is estimated at $4.6 million, with the council having "the right to spend" $1.3 million out of last year's appropriation. In the Economic Development Income Tax fund, the county has $3 million. The county has a bond payment of $946,461.25 due for the Justice Building expansion/renovation project.
• Heard from Mitchell the 2002 year-end balance for the sheriff's extradition fund is $87,730. If the county takes in $10,000 this year and spends approximately $20,000, she said, the extradition monies could last to 2010.
• Approved a transfer of $198 from the law enforcement forfeitures for the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department. The council then approved for all money from the forfeitures for the year to be automatically transferred, with a report to be given to the council at the end of the year showing how much money was transferred.
• Approved a transfer of $5,546.14 for the sheriff's department back to general repairs account. The money is from an insurance check received for repairs for a sheriff's department vehicle.
• Approved for Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine to begin the hiring process for two new jailers. The council approved for the sheriff's department to hire the two new jailers during the budget process several months ago while the council was preparing the 2003 budget.
• Elected Harold Jones as council president and Tom Anglin as vice president.
• Appointed Larry Teghtmeyer to serve as the council's representative to Kosciusko Development Inc.; John Kinsey to the Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District board; Brad Tandy and Teghtmeyer to the wage committee; and reappointed Michael Earl Barnett as the veteran's service officer.
Members of the county council are Teghtmeyer, Tandy, Jones, Anglin, Kinsey, Charlene Knispel and Maurice Beer. They meet at 7 p.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw, on the second Thursday of every month. [[In-content Ad]]