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Is your dog tagged?
If it is, part of the money may go to help the Animal Welfare League in the future.
Thursday, county auditor Sue Ann Mitchell told the Kosciusko County Council that the commissioners can designate 50 cents from each dog tag sold for the animal shelter. With approximately 6,000 dogs in the county with the tax, that could be as much as $3,000 a year for the shelter.
Councilman Jim Tranter said, "We need to use user-type fees to support this type of program (AWL)." He said $2,000 to $3,000 a year is a start and it may push people to get their dogs their tags. He said perhaps an organization could encourage people to get tags for their dogs.
In February, the county council reluctantly increased AWL's budget from $30,000 to $50,000 for 2000. At that time, councilman John Kinsey asked if money from dog tags could be used for the shelter and Mitchell said she would look into it.
The council approved sending a message to the county commissioners to pass legislation for 50 cents from each dog tag sold to go toward the animal shelter.
Dog tags can be purchased from township assessors or trustees. They are $2 for a neutered dog, $4 for a non-neutered dog and $6 for each additional dog.
In other business:
• Mitchell told the council they now have a site on the Internet.
The information can be found at www.indico.net/counties/kosciusko/government/county.html
"We're seeing some real progress with it," Mitchell said. "I think it's real grand."
Mitchell also said the county is supposed to receive a return of more than $2.7 million in two installments from the state because of the $12,500 personal property tax credit the state legislature approved this year. The county is reportedly getting the return because of the impact the tax credit will have on the taxing entities in the county.
No mobile home owners, on lots or in parks, will pay personal property tax on the mobile homes in the county because of the tax credit. Other personal property also is eligible for the credit as well as state distributional utilities.
"If we don't get that money back," Mitchell said, "every taxing entity will feel that impact."
Councilman Jim Tranter asked if the county has any control to get that money back.
"No," Mitchell said. "We're at their mercy."
Councilman Harold Jones asked, "Could you see us struggling for $3 million? I think we need to send a message to Indianapolis."
• The council approved the treasurer's office to accept payments via electronic fund transfers.
"This is just a very good idea," council president Brad Tandy said. "There just is no downside."
• A transfer of $9,340 from a prenatal grant fund was approved for the Kosciusko County Health Department.
• The council approved a transfer from a probation employee's salary account to the probation department's part time account. The employee is on an extended leave through the Family Medical Leave Act and the probation department has hired a replacement until her return.
• Three transfers from grants for the sheriff's department were approved, totaling more than $29,000. A transfer for the sheriff's department from user fees also was approved.
• The council approved a salary ordinance amendment for the new Center of Hope director. When the salaries were approved last year, the director's salary "slipped through the cracks," county prosecutor Chuck Waggoner said. The director's salary is paid through a grant.
• Approved the per-diem rate of $218.15 for a part-time contract deputy prosecutor. The deputy will work approximately two days four times a year while the prosecutor's office is at special training sessions. Waggoner will use $5,000 from an office account to pay the deputy.
