Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - A public hearing was held as part of the Syracuse Town Council meeting Tuesday, but no one from the public commented on the budget.
There was significant discussion about matters that needed to be decided before the budget is adopted between the town manager and the council, however. Also, Councilman Larry Siegel asked for additional information before he’d vote on the budget.
Siegel said in the past they’ve always been provided with a line-by-line item for each department, showing the amount of increases or decreases in each fund. Clerk-Treasurer Virginia Cazier said those were her personal notes and she provided that information to the council in July. Siegel said he no longer had that information and asked for it to be sent to him. Cazier said, “If I have time, I’ll get it to you.”
Siegel responded, “If you want me to vote on the budget, I have to have it.” Later, he asked his fellow council members to forward that information to him instead.
Cazier read the proposed $2.9 million budget aloud. The total amount including all funds is $9,196,246. Prior to the meeting she was asked about an estimated tax rate, and she said it was $0.7525 per $100 of assessed value.
Councilman Bill Musser commented that the town manager’s budget showed a significant increase and asked about it. Town Manager David Wilkinson said that was what he needed to discuss with the council. He reminded them that he informed them that they have a surplus in the general fund and gave them several projects that they could get done using those funds. In the meantime, he’s showing some of those funds in his budget.
Wilkinson went on to inform the council that they needed to make two decisions that could affect the budget. He said they have to appropriate some of the general fund surplus, and he previously provided several projects that are needed and could be funded with the surplus. The one thing he was most concerned about was the Boardwalk project as they received a grant for $500,000 to go towards that project. Another $800,000 would complete that project. Other projects included Main Street Parking lot renovations at $1.5 million, redoing the Village stoplights at $640,000 and gateway signs at $110,000. The total amount for all the projects is $3,050,000.
Wilkinson also offered the council other options to use the general fund surplus on, including paying off the water departments BANS and bonds, but he cautioned that the rate increase was established to pay for those and other water projects. Or they could pay for the Huntington Street project rather than wait for the State Revolving Fund loan, which is coming in later than expected. Wilkinson said they needed to let the Office of Community Rural Affairs (OCRA) know by Friday if they were waiting for the State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) or paying for the balance of the project themselves. He said they also needed to decide how much of the general fund surplus they wanted to appropriate so Cazier could add that into the budget before it is adopted.
After a lot of back and forth, the council decided to allocate $6 million of the general fund surplus to capital projects/debt reduction fund and they would decide which specific projects to use the funds on at a later date.
The council also decided to wait on the SRF with a current interest rate of 3.13% to pay the balance of the Huntington Street project. The town has been awarded the loan, but they won’t receive it until next August.
Jeremy Hardy, of Commonwealth Engineers, was present and said they’d have to either pay the entire cost themselves or wait on the SRF. He said he didn’t think the completion date of the project would change, and there was a possibility that the interest rate could be lower when they were ready to close.
Siegel initially said, “We prefer to get out of debt.”
But Wilkinson again mentioned that when they did the water rate increase it was with the plan of this project in mind. He said the water utility would be capable of paying off their debts and he said if they turn down the SRF, they might have trouble obtaining one in the future. The council took action on those two matters, but no action was taken on the budget itself. The council is expected to adopt the budget at its next meeting on Oct. 21.
Rezoning Request
Matt Sandy, Kosciusko County Area Plan director, brought a rezoning request for a property at 202 E. Pickwick Drive to change it from commercial to residential. Sandy said the property is next to the old CVS building and is located in an area that he said transitions from residential to commercial.
“Everything to the east is residential and to the west is commercial,” he said. Sandy said the property is currently used as a residence and has been for some time. The council approved the request without any further comment.
Ordinance Amendments
The council also approved the ordinance containing all the amendments the council made in a special meeting. Siegel said he thought they should approve the ordinance but then revisit it.
“I support the changes, but I don’t think some of the fees listed will cover the cost of the town’s expenses,” he said.
They approved the ordinance but plan to relook at the charges in the future.
Resolution Returning Funds
The council had a resolution before them pertaining to two current council members and because Paul Stoelting wasn’t present they wouldn’t have a quorum to vote on the resolution, so Siegel asked town attorney Jay Rigdon if they could make it two resolutions instead so Nate Scherer could vote on the part that doesn’t affect him and Cindy Kaiser could vote on the part that doesn’t affect her, in order to pass the resolution. Siegel said that was allowable.
The resolution allows for the return of funds that were paid to the town of Syracuse by Donald and Kathleen Robinson, Nathan Scherer and Cynthia Kaiser as a result of litigation brough by the State Board of Accounts and Attorney General Todd Rokita. The resolution states that “judgment was entered by the Kosciusko Superior Court IV on July 16, 2025, determining that the State Board of Accounts action in demanding return of funds to the town from certain individuals was not legally justified” so the town is returning the funds paid by those individuals plus any interest.
Department Reports
The council heard a change order will be coming on the water tower project. Wilkinson said the south tower came in less than expected and there are items needed on the north tower totaling $15,880, which is still within the originally approved amount.
From the Parks Department, the council heard that the pickleball courts are coming along. On Friday, there will be a high school homecoming parade from the QES building up Chicago Street to the high school starting at 4:30 pm. Oct. 4 will be Harvest Festival, Oct. 11 will be the indoor garage sale and Oct 25 will be the Trick or Treat Trail.
Cazier spoke to Robert Reynods of London Witte because she realized that they don’t have an outside user rate on the water rates.
She said, “We’re charging less to outside customers than residents.” She said she’d email the council some numbers so they could address it at the next meeting.
Councilman Bill Musser said, “Good catch, that’s a great idea.”
In other business, the council:
• Passed an ordinance for additional appropriations in the amount of $250,000 to professional services.
• Heard Turkey Creek Fire Chief Mickey Scott will be retiring the end of the year.
