Kosciusko County Council approved the 2016 budget Thursday and denied a tax abatement request for a poultry company. The $38.3 million budget includes a total of $15.7 in the general fund, a $900,000 increase over last year which Auditor Michelle Puckett attributed to a 1-percent salary increase for county employees; the hiring of seven new employees and paying now of three positions out of the general fund; and the higher cost of the contract with Advanced Correctional Healthcare because of the additional nurse. Council also transferred $2 million into the general fund from the Economic Development Income Tax fund Thursday. Council approved as well the salary ordinance and a nonbinding resolution recommending taxing units within Kosciusko keep their levies at or below the 2.6 percent property tax levy. Earlier in the meeting, council voted to deny a tax abatement request from Precision Pullets, Silver Lake, which plans a $2.5 million production expansion. Council first heard the request last month, when it approved a declaratory resolution to put the abatement up for public hearing Thursday. Council member Jim Moyer first spoke against the abatement, after attorney Steve Snyder explained the expansion will increase production by 750,000 pullets a year but only add two new jobs, because the facility is mostly automated. Snyder said it was the first agricultural facility in the county to request an abatement. Moyer said he didn’t want to set a precedent with abatements in the agriculture industry, which he feared might erode the tax base in such a farm-heavy county. Councilmen Larry Teghtmeyer and Jon Fussle agreed, also remarking on the low number of jobs. Snyder said he doesn’t see a difference between agriculture and industry from a real estate standpoint. Councilman Brad Tandy said he doesn’t make a distinction either, and that if there was a compelling reason council should support the request, but “I just don’t know how compelling this is.” Council President Bob Sanders reminded members they could set the abatement at a shorter term than the 10 years requested, but when Moyer motioned to deny it, all voted with him. In other business Thursday, council approved: • A $144,047 additional appropriation for the purchase of bituminous for the county highway department, which comes from another wheel tax disbursement. • Additional appropriations for the pre-trial diversion fund of $7,000 for community policing assistance, $1,500 for professional conferences and $17,000 for drug testing since testing costs have gone up, according to Prosecuting Attorney Dan Hampton. • Appropriations of $20,112 for drug and alcohol user fees in the probation fund and $12,000 for problem solving court. Drug Court Coordinator Barry Andrews told council this is a “good problem to have,” drug screening costs having gone up because 14 people were admitted to the newly implemented program which offers a sentencing alternative for drug offenders. Council tabled an appropriation request for $20,000 for X-ray and lab expenses in the coroner fund, since no one was at the meeting to address questions on it.
