The future of Kosciusko County government providing funding to local nonprofit organizations is uncertain.
Tuesday, after some discussion on the appropriateness of the county giving taxpayer dollars to nonprofits, the Kosciusko County Commissioners approved recommending to the County Council that seven nonprofits receive the same amount of funds in 2025 as they did in 2024. An eighth nonprofit - Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center - that requested funding ($20,000) for the first time will not be granted any dollars.
In 2024, Kosciusko County 4-H Council was approved for $46,589.91 from the county; Cardinal Services, $108,129; Stillwater Hospice, $50,000; Kosciusko County Historical Society, $23,230; Beaman Home, $33,425; Kosciusko County Senior Services, $33,425; and St. Joe River Basin, $3,794, according to information provided at a previous commissioners meeting.
Commissioner Cary Groninger said, “A couple meetings ago, we heard from all the nonprofits in our community, trying to sort through what their requests were. I know this is something that I think all three of us up here have struggled with ... whether or not it’s the county’s job to fund some of these nonprofits and what we should do and how we are being the stewards of taxpayer dollars that we receive.”
He said they’ve been trying decide whether to come up with a percentage of increase or holding the line to send a message from the perspective that “this really isn’t something we want to continue to fund.”
All the nonprofits on the list are very good nonprofits that provide services to the community that are very important, Groninger said, “So I think we need to be careful about how we look at that, but in my opinion, I think we’re going to try to reduce the funding that we give to them.” He said there’s conversations that need to be had with the nonprofits “prior to doing it without notice.” He said they definitely wouldn’t be adding any additional nonprofits to the list of seven on their list.
Commissioner Brad Jackson said, “I’ve always had that same theory that they’re all fantastic organizations, but is it the government’s place to take tax dollars and delegate them to them? That’s the fundamental problem I’ve had for years.“
Commissioner Bob Conley said that when he first became commissioner “I think there were like 20-25 not-for-profits that we funded, and over the years we’ve been able to determine those who had funding from other sources, they didn’t necessarily need county funding, and those were steadily whittled away and they still function or they decided that what they were doing didn’t need to be done, so they dropped off the nonprofit list.”
Conley’s first year as commissioner was 2007. According to 2007 county commissioners meeting minutes found on Kosciusko.in.gov, there were nine nonprofits that requested funding for 2008. Those included Cardinal Center, Council for Aging, KDI, Animal Welfare League, Home Health Care, 4-H Council, Arrowhead RC & D, Historical Society and Beaman Home.
He said Tuesday, “I guess the question before us today is, do we want to maintain the status quo? If that’s the case, we can vote on that. Or do we want to give them a slight increase, looking to the future then having a discussion with each one of them on their funding, where they have funding from other sources. We just don’t want to cut them off all at once.”
Jackson said some of the nonprofits didn’t ask for any increases for next year.
“It wouldn’t be fair to give some an increase and those who didn’t ask, that are frugal, representing us well with their funds, they don’t get anything,” Conley said.
Groninger said the county council would have the final say on the nonprofit funding.
He pointed out that the funding requested from the St. Joe River Basin was based upon a formula on the acres of the watershed in the county, and is the same formula used to solicit funds from the other counties that are part of the river basin. They are only requesting $14 more for 2025. Meanwhile, Groninger said, the other nonprofits either are seeking a percentage of increase or what they’ve historically received.
Jackson said the decision was a tough one and they didn’t just want to stop providing funding without giving the nonprofits notice.
“But I think if we’re going to eventually start walking in the other direction, we need to stop heading in the increase direction. I’m leaning toward just keeping the status quo for everybody this year,” he said, including for St. Joe River Basin. “... I do want to say that all of these are great causes, but we’re donating other people’s money for them.”
Jackson made the motion to keep the amounts for 2025 for the nonprofits the same as 2024 for all of them, and no funding for Safe Harbor.
In other business, the commissioners approved:
• For Kosciusko County Highway Department to purchase a 2025 GMC Sierra pickup truck from Shepherd’s Chevrolet, North Manchester, for $61,850, as requested by Highway Superintendent Steve Moriarty. He said it was the lowest of six bids and he has the funds in his budget.
• For the Kosciusko County Clerk’s Office to enter into a purchase agreement for Poll Pads encoder adapters at $35 per adapter.
Chief Deputy Melissa Boggs said the adapters are used to keep the encoders secure to the Poll Pads to prevent battery failure and maintain a stable connection to the Poll Pads. The encoders are used to program each individual vote card, she said, to ensure that the voters are getting the correct ballot each time.
• Approved for the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office to purchase a Chevy Tahoe for an administrative vehicle out of the sheriff’s commissary fund. The vehicle is from Kelley Chevrolet, Fort Wayne, with a price tag of $50,795.
• Rezoning 11.17 acres off CR 1100N, west of Ind. 19, in Scott Township, from an agricultural district to an agricultural II district for Robert and Loretta Stutzman.
• A motion on a preliminary plat for a 12-lot residential subdivision by Wackey 2 Premier near James Lake to “not change the county’s ordinance as far as curb and gutter from the top of the hill down. That we do require it from (EMS) T52 (Lane) to the bottom, and basically send it back to Area Plan to review those parameters. I would encourage them to have (Area Plan Director) Matt (Sandy) and Steve Moriarty meet (with them) so they’re not going to do any design that’s not going to meet the standards.”
The property is on the west side of EMS T52 Lane, north of EMS T52C Lane, in Tippecanoe Township. The property was once a Baptist camp.
The next commissioners meeting is at 9 a.m. July 30.