Concerned County Citizens To Remonstrate Against EDIT

Competition brings out the best in people.

Concerned County Citizens will compete against one another next week to get as many signatures as they can against or in favor of the Economic Development Income Tax.

Each CCC member will carry clipboards containing petitions county residents can sign concerning EDIT. The signatures will then be presented to the Kosciusko County Council at a March 6 special meeting at 3 p.m., when CCC plans to remonstrate against EDIT.

The council will vote on EDIT after hearing public comments.

EDIT is based solely on income. The resolution to be voted on allocates funds according to population.

CCC President Herschel Rainwater claimed the county commissioners want EDIT for a new jail.

"They say that this EDIT tax is going to be for the jail," Rainwater said. "How can they use the money for the jail? It's an economic development tax. (The jail) is not an economic development."

Rainwater said the state also pays the county $100 per day for non-county prisoners.

"How many people in the jail do we have that we shouldn't be burdened with?" he said.

Rainwater also said the county already has enough money for a jail and there was no need for a new tax.

"What I found out is that this county is one of the most frugal counties in the state. We are in the black," he said.

Gary Robbins, Pierceton, said the county was about $7 million in the black.

He said, "Warsaw wants to keep to continue to grow, continue to grow. Why?"

Marvin Gunter said, "If they already have the money in the fund and it's already there, why do they have to come out and say they're going to use the money for the jail?"

He said, "They have people within the KDI who want this county to be like Elkhart. In fact, a county commissioner told me that."

Gunter said one reason that local developers support EDIT is because, "if you're a developer or investment person and are in a position to know where an investment is going to be made beforehand ... and if you're one of the insiders ... you buy that land cheap."

Rainwater said, "The point is they're saddling us with another income tax. If we have another income tax, we'll have two taxes. That's two taxes coming from the county."

Robins said in the last six to seven years, taxes have risen 20 percent. "I asked Sue (Guiff) where's it going to stop?"

Bruce Woodward said if it was a choice between property tax and EDIT, he would prefer EDIT. "I'd rather see the lesser of two evils," he said.

Woodward was the only person in attendance at the Tuesday meeting who was at least partially for EDIT. The other 11 persons said they were against EDIT.

Woodward said, "One of the things being discussed down at the state -Êthey're talking about putting a moratorium on sub-divisions unless they can put them on a current sewer system."

He said realtors were fighting the proposed measure. He said there was also another reason to pass EDIT.

"This may come to pass. If our community doesn't continue to grow, the communities around us will continue to grow and take the jobs away from us," he said.

Robins said the reason the county isn't attracting industry is not due to economic development. He said there is a lack of skilled laborers.

"We're losing some businesses because they can't find the skilled laborers. Zimmer, DePuy have the skilled laborers all tied up," he said.

Rainwater said, "Infrastructure has nothing to do with it. The people bring the money in with them."

Robins said a problem with EDIT was once it was passed, there was no way to take it back.

"Once you vote a tax in, have you ever seen a tax voted out?" he said.

Gunter said there was a conflict of interest involved in passing EDIT.

"We're talking about county commissioners, county council members, town managers. These people, because they belong to KDI, are the same people who tax the county. That's a conflict of interest," Gunter said.

Albert Smith said county money would be spent better elsewhere, namely education.

"Where's the money being spent in our schools?" he said. "Sports. Bill Patrick, if he wanted $1,000 by the next week, he'd have it!"

CCC laid the foundation for their organization Feb. 17 in the meeting room of the Warsaw Community Public Library. Rainwater is president of CCC for the next six months and Guiff is secretary.

Anyone wanting to join CCC or help remonstrate against EDIT can contact Herschel Rainwater at 453-4039 or fax at 453-2555.

The next CCC meeting is tentatively scheduled for 6:30 p.m. March 1 in the Warsaw Community Public Library meeting room.