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Indiana is holding more than $3 million of Kosciusko County money in the County Option Income Tax Fund.
At the Kosciusko County Council meeting Thursday, county auditor Sue Ann Mitchell told the council she recently received the information from the State Department of Revenue along with the State Budgeting Agency regarding the 1985-2001 actual and projected revenues for COIT money.
In 1985 when the county, including all taxing entities in the county, began collecting COIT money, the tax collected was $433,055 for the year, and it earned interest of $7,514. No money was distributed in the first year.
By 1995, with a beginning balance of approximately $1.5 million, the county collected approximately $6.2 million for the year, distributed about $6.1 million and earned approximately $87,000 in interest, ending with a balance of approximately $1.7 million for the year.
Then in 1997, the county asked the state to hold the money for only three months instead of six. Subsequent to that collection, the holdings have been greater than what the county received each month in return, thus increasing the state's holding of the county's money.
Distributions are projected by the state two years in advance. Money the county will receive in 2002 is based on 2000 income.
The ending balance for 2001, at the end of October, is projected at approximately $7.75 million, which includes interest earned. For 2001, Kosciusko County is guaranteed a collection of at least approximately $904,000 each month. If the county asks the state to withhold the money for only three months, the county will receive more than $3 million of the ending balance.
Mitchell told the council they need to make all the taxing entities in the county aware of the situation and have each entity write to the State Department of Revenue about the matter.
"I would certainly encourage you to do what you can to get that money from there to here," councilman Harold Jones told Mitchell.
Council president Jim Tranter said all the council feels the same way and encouraged Mitchell to notify all the taxing entities in the county of the situation.
Even if more than $3 million is deducted from the county's balance, there will still be more than $3 million left.
In other business, the council:
• Approved extending the abatement for Wabash Valley Manufacturing, Lake Township, for another year.
• Approved additional appropriations for the county highway, court-ordered services, the sheriff's department and the Area Plan Commission.
• Approved transfers of funds for the county prosecutor's office, the sheriff's department and Plain Township. Along with the transfers, salary ordinances were approved for Plain Township, the treasurer's office and the county health department.
• Approved the resubmitted 2001 budget from the Kosciusko County Visitors Bureau.
Tranter said the Visitors Bureau's budget is based on an innkeeper's tax the county collects and appropriates. They want the CVB to follow the same format and budget procedure as the other departments in the county, he said. However, the CVB will present their 2002 budget to the council in November while the other departments will present theirs in August.
"I have no qualms at all that they're not doing a great job," said councilman John Kinsey thanking the CVB for their job.
"You are doing a great job," Tranter said.
• Accepted a conflict of interest form from Rebecca Lehman, Nappanee Library appointee.
• Heard from Kosciusko County Administrator Ron Robinson that the Justice Building expansion project is ahead of schedule.
• Was reminded the April meeting will be on the second Thursday of the month, April 12, instead of the first Thursday of the month.
Members of the council are president Jim Tranter, vice president Brad Tandy, Tom Anglin, Harold Jones, John Kinsey, Larry Teghtmeyer and Maurice Beer.
