Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
MENTONE - For 2-1/2 hours Monday, the Mentone Town Council worked on a tentative 2005 budget.
Most of the budget items were kept the same as the 2004 budget, with slight increases here and there as needed.
After all was said and done, the proposed 2005 general fund at this time is $320,316, an increase of $18,000. "Not bad," said councilman Mark Hughes of the figure.
Motor vehicle/highway fund is estimated at $28,000 with local roads & streets at $9,300; cemetery at $2,700; and Cumulative Capital Improvement Fund at $4,950.
The general fund took the most time to discuss by the council and the town department heads as it had the most items included in the budget.
For wages and salaries, the council unanimously agreed not to raise their own pay. Hughes said with everything as tight as it's going to be, they shouldn't raise the council salaries.
"I don't think you want to raise the clerk-treasurer's (pay) in the general fund either," said Barbara Ross, clerk-treasurer. Once the clerk's salary is raised, the council can't lower it.
Town Marshal Jim Eads recommended his raise at 3.47 percent. Last year, the town employees received only 2 percent raises.
"I'd agree with this 3.47 percent," said councilman Tim Croy. "I tell you what. It would take a lot more than that for me to do what it is that they do."
The council agreed to give the town employees 3.47 percent raises across the board, rounded to the nearest dollar.
FICA for the police department will have to be $5,118 for 2005 with the Public Employees Retirement Fund at $5,184, Ross told the council. FICA for the council will remain the same.
For 2004, the town budgeted $3,500 for legal fees and has $2,500 left as of the end of May. The council agreed to keep that figure the same for 2005. "You never know how much of that you'll have to use," said Hughes.
In past years, the council budgeted money to be contributed to Kosciusko Development Inc. For 2005, the council agreed to eliminate contributions and hand half of that money to the deputy clerk fund.
For phone bills for 2004 for the town, Ross said, the town has only $400 left. "The town is going to come up short."
Already this year, said Croy, the town spent $1,600 on phone bills and they're only half-way through the year.
Asked why the increase, Ross said it was probably due to long-distance calls. It's about $75 per month all the time and she said they probably need at least another $1,000.
The phone bills include AT&T, Internet and Verizon. The council agreed to raise it to $3,000 for 2005.
At the end of May, the town had $11,000 left for NIPSCO gas and electric to pay for street lights and police department utilities. Ross said they have hot summer and cold winter months still ahead. The town budgeted $18,000 for utilities for 2004 but reduced it to $17,000 for 2005.
For property insurance, the town pays $16,000 this year and their insurance is up for renewal early next year. For 2005, the council decided to leave as it because they don't know what it will be.
"Insurance been doing nothing but going up, right?" Hughes asked.
"Right," answered Ross.
Next year, the fire department plans to purchase a new truck, but to help pay for it, the town will need to borrow some money as the estimated cost is $250,000 to $300,000. By budgeting $20,000 for 2005, Ross said that will be $20,000 less the town will need to borrow.
On the motor vehicle highway fund, Ross said the miscellaneous income the town will receive is $28,739. Local roads and streets miscellaneous income the town will receive is $9,300. Total budget for cemetery is $2,700, with the sexton being paid $500 of that.
CCI money for 2004 has not been spent yet this year.
The tentative 2005 budget must still have a public hearing, be advertised and approved by the state.
Members of the Mentone Town Council are Mark Hughes, Jack Simpson and Tim Croy. Department heads are Barbara Ross, clerk-treasurer; Brian Reed, utilities superintendent; Darrell Miller, street department; Jim Eads, town marshall; and Larry Beeson, town attorney.
Their next regular meeting is July 12 at 7 p.m. in the town hall.
