Kosciusko Leadership Academy was hosted by the City of Warsaw and the Warsaw Police Department on Tuesday. Cadets learned about city, county and state government through presentations delivered by Warsaw Mayor Dr. Joe Thallemer, County Treasurer Sue Ann Mitchell and 22nd District State Representative Curt Nisly, according to a news release from KLA. Thallemer opened with a discussion about revenue generation and the balance that must be achieved between keeping taxes as low as possible, while trying to improve services and attract new residents to the community. Today’s young professionals place a premium on living where they can enjoy a high quality of life, including communities which are safe, have excellent schools, and a wide variety of amenities to enjoy, he said. Thallemer provided an overview of several community-enhancing projects such as the Market Street enhancement, the Winona Lake traffic circle, the proposed maker space and the Buffalo Street corridor project. Thallemer encouraged the cadets to use him as a resource when developing white paper projects. Mitchell continued the discussion on revenue by explaining that Kosciusko County has the second lowest tax rate in the state and has a long history of conservative spending. For example, Kosciusko County could have instituted the wheel tax as early as 1983 but chose not to, she said. This tax was imposed two years ago and helps maintain the county’s infrastructure. Other revenue-generating initiatives also were explained such as the work release facility and the new assessed value method of determining property taxes. Mitchell also explained the county government structure and her progression through several public service roles, including township trustee, county auditor, county treasurer and her next job as county council member, the news release states. As a native of Anderson, Mitchell challenged the cadets to do all they could to strengthen the local industry since these large businesses create so many jobs and contribute to the revenue base. Having lived through the evacuation of General Motors and Delco from Anderson, Mitchell saw firsthand how devastating industrial flight can be, she said. Nisly provided an overview of the three branches of state government and explained the role of the House of Representatives and Senate in proposing and passing new legislation. He stressed that Kosciusko County is exceedingly rich in a variety of assets, including agriculture, heavy industry and medical device technology, and of course, the lakes and streams. Nisly was asked how he balances his own views with the desires of his constituency, and he explained that he makes decisions based on his core principles and then on making sure he represents the will of the people. He also stressed that he resists the pressure from Indianapolis to first represent state government to the 22nd district, according to the news release. KLA meets again Oct. 25 at the K21 Health Pavilion and will explore human services in Kosciusko County. KLA is a not-for-profit organization devoted to serving Kosciusko County by encouraging leaders and future leaders to dream and create a better community through white paper projects. For more information about KLA, visit its website at www.kosciuskoleadership.org.
