Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
MILFORD -ÊDiscussion of the Economic Development Income Tax was almost over before it began Monday night at the Milford Town Council meeting.
The council unanimously voted to table EDIT to next month's meeting, at least.
Town council member Donald Wolferman said, "I'm not in favor of this, but if it would go through, Milford would have a use for that tax."
Town attorney Jay Rigdon said even if the Milford council did not pass anything on EDIT, if the county passed EDIT, Milford would still receive its share of the funds.
"There's no place else for it to go," Rigdon said.
Dallas Winchester, utilities department head, told the council, "It's like playing a slot machine. Why waste it?"
He also told the council EDIT would result in a tax increase for residents. Plus, he said, if towns and cities in the county need new sewer treatments, there was another way to pay for them.
"They need to raise their (sewer) user rates and not rely on the county," Winchester told the council.
The council approved two new reserve deputies.
Mike Pope, Pierceton, and Keith Ousley, Warsaw, are the town's new reserves and were sworn in by Town Marshal David Hobbs. Pope was a reserve for North Webster. Ousley was a reserve for the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department for more than two years.
A department meeting last week approved the two candidates, both of whom are certified to be reserves. Hobbs said he went through all the applications and did a background check on them.
"They felt they could do a little more here. They liked the way we had the program set up here," Hobbs said.
He said Milford has a good record of officers going on to bigger and better things.
Deputy Town Marshal Richard Miotto presented an application for a federal grant that would pay about 75 percent of a fourth officer's salary and fringe benefits for three years. The council would have to pay the officer's salary and benefits for at least one additional year.
"They only monitor it for one year after the three-year grant," Miotto said.
Councilman Douglas Ruch said, "To me it looks like it's a program to put an officer on the street without having the local government to fund it. It looks like pretty good business to me."
Councilman Donald Wolferman didn't agree with Ruch.
"I'm not sure we need a fourth officer," Wolferman said.
Ruch motioned to approve signing and sending the application. There was no second and the motion died.
The council told Miotto to hold on to the application in case they ever change their minds in the future. The deadline for the federal grant was Feb. 4, but Miotto said the program was working so well, the government was keeping it open.
Hobbs also asked if the council could meet with him in executive session about the officers' clothing allowance. Town attorney Jay Rigdon said clothing allowances did not fall under the items which the council could discuss in executive session and any discussion would have to be in a public forum.
Apparently, the police department has had problems with officers abusing the clothing allowance. Each officer is allowed a certain amount for clothing allowance each year.
Clerk-treasurer Charlene Siegfried said, "There's one officer, and I won't mention his name, bought something in October and had it delayed until January."
Hobbs told the council he would write up a detailed list of what officers can buy for discussion at the next council meeting.
"All these reserves deserve the money they get because they put in all the time," Hobbs said. He said they had to be careful not to abuse it, though.
