Kosciusko County Council approved several transfers and salary ordinance amendments for the prosecutor’s office Thursday night.
County prosecutor Dan Hampton had six transfers and four salary amendments.
The council debated one salary ordinance amendment that allowed for a $4,300 lump-sum payment to a paralegal assistant who is also an attorney.
Hampton noted that such payment was necessary to make salaries more equitable.
He said that for payroll it was much easier to do it in a lump-sum payment rather than over several pay periods.
“I’m having trouble why we’d pay a lump sum prior to the work being done,” said councilman Larry Teghtmeyer.
Councilman Doug Heinisch asked Hampton how often he thought he’d come before the council with such lump-sum payments requests.
“I may ask for this five, six times,” said Hampton. “In the prosecutor’s office it’s difficult to maintain staff. We have high turnover.”
Hampton said private law firms pay much more than the prosecutor’s office can offer.
Hampton also noted that his money was coming from his pre-trial diversion fund. That fund comes from money solely generated by Hampton’s office and not tax dollars.
“Part of me says spend it the way he wants to spend it,” said councilman Bob Sanders. “But part of me doesn’t get it as a businessman. But I don’t know the prosecutor’s office. I can see them in the future taking the money and leaving. How do we get that money back?”
Eventually, the ordinance was passed 5-0. Council President Tom Anglin and councilman Brad Tandy were absent from Thursday’s meeting.
Sanders also had some news in regards to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District.
Sanders who sits on that board said the LRSD has entered into a purchase agreement for land at CR 100N and CR 500E for a sewage treatment plant.
Sanders said the area also has room to expand should areas like Tippecanoe Lake and Chapman Lake decide to move to sewer as well.
County Administrator Ron Robinson said work is underway on the county’s newest roundabout at Zimmer Road and Old 30.
The completion date is projected as Nov. 16 though that may change if the weather stays dry, Robinson said.
Superior Court 2 and 3 were granted an $8,500 additional appropriation for court-ordered services.
Judge Joe Sutton told the council that the courts have had to deal with four mental health cases so far this year, which is a sharp increase over years past.
The council approved $85,001 in transfers for the highway department.
County Highway Superintendent Scott Tilden told the council that $85,000 of that will go toward the purchase of a new backhoe. Tilden said the purchase was possible because of savings on three bridge projects. The new backhoe will replace a 1994 Case.
The $1 was to solve a payroll issue for the assistant superintendent.
A transfer of $1,500 was also approved from the county’s general maintenance to overtime.
The Purdue Extension Office was approved to transfer $425 for summer help.
Ten abatement approvals were tabled until the council’s July 12 meeting.
County Auditor Marsha McSherry told the council that it could transfer dormant grant money into the county’s general fund. That was approved by the council.
McSherry also told the council that budgets are due to her office Tuesday.
The council also decided to ask Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. Executive Director George Robertson to come in and give quarterly updates.
The council meets the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the old courtroom at the Kosciusko County Courthouse.
Follow staff writer Daniel Riordan on Twitter at @TUNews_Riordan
