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Thursday, the Kosciusko County Council preliminarily approved the 2005 county budget.
But first, they addressed several issues left over from their Monday and Tuesday budget hearings.
For the Emergency 911 budget, the council approved "Budget B." The dispatchers are paid through three different means - through E911 funds, by the city of Warsaw and by the county. Budget B puts all 15 dispatchers into the county's E911 budget, to tentatively be paid by the county.
Kosciusko County Coroner Larry Ladd requested raising deputy coroner's rates to $100 per call as the pay had not been raised for some time. The council approved the increase. The coroner's salary also was approved at 2 percent like all full-time employees' salaries were raised for 2005.
In the jail budget, the council approved $2,000 for promotions, $7,500 for overtime and $25,000 for holiday pay. In the sheriff's budget, the council approved $3,000 for promotions and $20,000 for overtime pay. Councilman Brad Tandy said the overtime pay is needed based on the compensatory time officers have outstanding. The supervisors in the sheriff's department need to manage the comp time and overtime effectively as next year, Tandy said, they want to see a reduction in the comp time.
"There was a need and we needed to do something with it before it got out of hand," said Jones.
Also in the sheriff's budget, the council decided to leave $170,000 in the budget for car purchases, if needed. The $41,700 in the sheriff's budget for shelving and racks, office equipment and other equipment will be removed from that budget. If the sheriff needs equipment, he can request it through the county commissioners.
The money for the Bowen Center was reduced from $424,860 for 2005 to $423,737.
Van Buren Township had not budgeted for raises for 2005. The township's postage was reduced to allow for the raises.
Originally, county health department administrator Bob Weaver put money in the health maintenance fund and prenatal grant fund. County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell told the county council Thursday Weaver now wants all the money taken out of the prenatal grant fund and put into the health maintenance fund. The position paid for by the prenatal grant fund also will be moved to the health maintenance fund.
All township trustees will get a 2 percent increase for 2005.
For part-time rates, the county council approved leaving those the same as 2004.
Mitchell reported that with the changes, the 2005 budget should be less than $336,000 over the maximum levy. "We are very, very close this year to what we were last year," she said.
Jones said the county still does not know what the County Option Income Tax revenue for 2005 will be.
"I'm amazed," said Mitchell, "at how close we were able to get from where we started. That's really, really good."
In other business, the county council:
• Approved transfers of $500 from lodging and $1,200 from postage to part-time as requested by Turkey Creek Township Assessor Patty Gammiere.
• Approved a transfer of $4,600 from a deputy clerk account to part-time as requested by county clerk Sharon Christner.
• Approved a transfer of $3,500 from a deputy treasurer account to overtime as requested by county treasurer Stephanie Esenwein.
• Approved additional appropriations from the prosecutor's infraction deferral funds for grants to various law enforcement agencies, including: Indiana State Police, $5,348; Milford Police Department, $1,428; Silver Lake Marshal's Office, $2,492; Claypool Marshal's Office, $1,074; Kosciusko County Special Operations Team/Drug Task Force, $4,300; Kosciusko County Fatal Team, $3,500; Kosciusko County Coroner, $2,000; and prosecutor's office, $130.
• Approved an additional appropriation for the alcohol and drug fund for $3,042 for a part-time case manager to be paid at a rate of $13.58 per hour.
• Approved additional appropriations for law enforcement forfeitures fund for $15,000 for capital outlays and $109,380 for the current fund balance.
• Heard the west side of the county courthouse will be closed next week for construction.
Members of the Kosciusko County Council are chairman Harold Jones, vice chairman Tom Anglin, John Kinsey, Brad Tandy, Charlene Knispel, Maurice Beer and Larry Teghtmeyer. Their next meeting is Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw.
