Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
On the second night of the Kosciusko County Council budget hearings, the council addressed the remaining county departments' 2004 budgets and the township budgets.
As of this morning, the total county general budget - that does not count the highway department, health department or other special funds - totals an estimated $15,454,216.
The 2003 budget total is $15,121,724 and the 2002 expended budget was $17,343,514.
Kosciusko County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell told the council that after the items the county council cut from the budgets Monday, the county has an approximate operating balance of $1.5 million. That's below what the county had previously. If the county had not used its cumulative funds to pay for new sheriff vehicles and computers, Mitchell said, the county would be down an additional $400,000.
Council chairman Harold Jones said he thought the county was "still on target at this point."
The 2004 department and township budgets preliminarily approved Tuesday include:
• County Assessor, $180,819. The 2003 budget was $182,428.
• County Auditor, $389,425. The 2003 budget was $394,855.
• County Commissioners, $5,732,558. The 2003 budget was $5,448,782.
• County Council, $48,305, the same as the 2003 budget.
• Prosecuting attorney, $254,722. The 2003 budget was $273,762.
• Title IV-D, $240,869. The 2003 budget is $240,933.
• Circuit and Superior Courts, $1,098,852. The 2003 budget was $1,110,648.
• Superior Court III, $374,280. The 2003 budget was $383,001.
• County recorder, $153,117. The 2003 budget was $172,251.
• County service officer, $14,212. The 2003 budget was $13,863.
• Soil and Water Conservation District, $99,389. The 2003 budget was $98,205.
• Clay Township, $18,895. The 2003 budget was $19,245.
• Etna Township, $11,779. The 2003 budget was $11,206.
• Franklin Township, $11,158. The 2003 budget was $11,308.
• Harrison Township, $20,671. The 2003 budget was $21,671.
• Jackson Township, $12,705. The 2003 budget was $12,905.
• Jefferson Township, $11,055. The 2003 budget was $11,895.
• Lake Township, $15,399. The 2003 budget was $15,899.
• Monroe Township, $10,297. The 2003 budget was $10,422.
• Plain Township, $91,487. The 2003 budget was $95,234.
• Prairie Township, $17,881. The 2003 budget was $18,381.
• Scott Township, $11,628. The 2003 budget was $11,878.
• Seward Township, $23,139. The 2003 budget was $23,639.
• Tippecanoe Township, $118,636. The 2003 budget was $120,640.
• VanBuren Township, $22,122. The 2003 budget was $22,622.
• Washington Township, $28,819. The 2003 budget was $29,669.
• Turkey Creek Township Assessor, $126,142. The 2003 budget was $127,994.
• Wayne Township Assessor, $138,843. The 2003 budget was $139,070.
