County Council Approves Repair Funds, Employment Changes
Posted
Jordan Fouts-
Kosciusko County Council members approved fund transfers to cover vehicle repairs and a patrolman’s resignation for the Sheriff’s Department Thursday. Sheriff Rocky Goshert presented four transfer requests to the council, including $802 from longevity to cover remaining vacation pay for Patrolman Brad Kellar, who left the department Jan. 1 for Warsaw Police Dept. He also requested transfers from county general/insurance payment to cover repairs to three squad cars – $6,141.18 for one that recently struck a deer and $720 for one that had its door kicked during an incident in March. The third transfer, $2,871.02, is for a vehicle damaged by a 15-year-old Milford boy who had fled his home driving a skid loader Dec. 8. He damaged a sheriff’s car and a Milford police vehicle with the skid loader before being apprehended. Council also approved several fund transfers and salary ordinance amendments to cover employment changes in county departments. They agreed to allow county Circuit and Superior Court 1 to hire three part-time employees to act as court administrators after the Jan. 1 retirement of the bailiff. County Administrator Ron Robinson told the council the part-time administrator positions are on a trial basis and the court is not eliminating the bailiff position entirely. Robinson also related that county Treasurer Sue Ann Mitchell would like permission to fill a full-time deputy position that she realized could not be adequately covered by current part-time help. Robinson noted it is not an additional position. And County Clerk Jason McSherry was given permission to split the office supervisor position into two lesser positions. “My theory is, I don’t need a supervisor in the office. I sit in the office. But I do need people to lean on, so to speak,” he told the council. Council approved all requests. County Prosecutor Dan Hampton informed the council that he has added a child support case worker funded by incentive money, at no cost to the county. The position is funded by a portion of child support collections, which he said is enough to fund salary and benefits annually. Hampton said he hopes the new position will make child support collection run more smoothly.
