Kosciusko County Council gave initial approval to a tax abatement request from an orthopedic instrument manufacturer. The vote Thursday authorizes Alpha Manufacturing and Design LLC to advertise for a public hearing for its abatement request on an expansion worth more than $7 million. The expansion will include an addition to the building on Cessna Road and the purchase of new manufacturing and information technology equipment. With a projected 25 extra jobs, the expansion is expected to triple the company’s number of employees. Also Thursday, council approved an additional appropriation of $60,000 for subsidized counsel, which Judge James Jarrette said has increased dramatically in recent years. He said they budgeted $280,000 for this year but paid $295,000 in court-appointed attorneys fees. Council authorized another $60,222 in additional appropriations for the highway department for salt purchase. Highway Superintendent Scott Tilden said the money is needed to buy road salt until his department begins operating on its 2015 budget. Council approved an $84,000 requested budget for K-CODE, a state grant-funded agency which plans to use the money next year for tactical vests, Fatal Alcohol Crash Team equipment and an additional vehicle camera for the Syracuse Police Department. An additional $20,000 appropriation was approved for statewide 911 overtime pay and $5,000 for part-time; and $19,575 for county coroner X-ray and lab expenses and $2,000 for deputy coroner pay. And council heard from county Treasurer Sue Ann Mitchell that her office is receiving property tax payments, and that taxpayers can go online with the county or their bank to see when their checks have been credited.
