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Superior Court II Judge James Jarrette's request to have his budget separated from Superior Court III Judge Joe Sutton's budget was denied by the Kosciusko County Council Tuesday at their second of three budget hearings.
Jim Tranter, council president, said the council had Kosciusko County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell call the state to see if the council had to accept the budgets as separate or if they could merge them. The council, he said, has problems with separating the budgets because it would make it more difficult to transfer money for the judges should emergency situations arise.
Mitchell said the state told her there was no problem with the council putting the two budgets together.
"Based on that," said Tranter, "I'd like to see us put those budgets back together," and eventually have all four courts together under one budget.
"I'm wondering if we should approve the 2001 budget for the 2002 budget and provide (additional funds) for the pauper counsel," said council vice president Brad Tandy.
The council approved the Superior Court II and III 2001 budget as one budget for 2002, increased the pauper counsel to $130,000 from $105,000 and increased the court-ordered services from $10,000 to $12,000.
The total budget for the two courts, including salary requests that will not be approved until Thursday's meeting, is approximately $386,916.
If the council had approved the budget requests separately as presented, the budgets would have totaled approximately $442,842.
Historically, said councilman Larry Teghtmeyer, the Circuit Court judge presented the budgets for the courts. He recommended the Circuit Court judge put the courts' budgets together and present them as one in the future.
The following budgets also were approved, but they include employee salary requests that have not been approved; wages will be discussed at the Thursday 7 p.m. meeting:
• Kosciusko County Auditor, $382,643.
• Purdue Cooperative Extension Office, $180,302.
• Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission, $269,898.
• Kosciusko County Assessor, $185,318.
• Commercial and industrial reassessment, $72,463.
• Clay Township, $19,154.
• Etna Township, $10,971.
• Franklin Township, $11,830.
• Harrison Township, $21,938.
• Jackson Township, $13,209.
• Jefferson Township, $11,840.
• Lake Township, $17,250.
• Monroe Township, $10,716.
• Prairie Township, $18,400.
• Scott Township, $12,368.
• Seward Township, $23,508.
• Van Buren Township, $22,507.
• Washington Township, $29,800.
• Plain Township, $94,704.
• Tippecanoe Township, $118,835.
• Turkey Creek Township, $122,820.
• Wayne Township, $136,325.
• Emergency management, $25,184.
• Local emergency planning, $8,560.
• County service officer, $14,013.
Members of the Kosciusko County Council are president Jim Tranter, vice president Brad Tandy, Tom Anglin, Harold Jones, Larry Teghtmeyer, John Kinsey and Maurice Beer. Their regular and last budget meeting is Thursday at 7 p.m. in the county courthouse.
