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SYRACUSE -ÊSince the Kosciusko County Council will discuss the Economic Development Income Tax at its 7 p.m. March 2 meeting, the Syracuse Town Council tabled its discussion of EDIT Tuesday.
The town had advertised approving EDIT based on assessed valuation at 0.4 percent. However, the county will discuss approving EDIT at 0.3 percent based on population.
"Once they determine which way they want to go," town board president William Cutter said of the county council's decision, "we can then decide which way we want to go."
Town attorney Robert Reed told the three councilmen present that they will receive a certified letter from the county council on their decision and then the taxing units in the county will be able to act on it.
A consensus was reached among the Syracuse councilmen present that Syracuse supports EDIT. Brian Redshaw, town manager, will be present at the county meeting, Cutter said, to tell the county council what their consensus is.
"We prefer (assessed valuation), but we'd take it the other way," Cutter said.
Tim Yeager, the former Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce president, told the council, "The chamber is in support of (EDIT)."
EDIT is a tax based on adjusted gross income as reported on federal tax returns. It can be distributed to cities and towns in the county based on population or assessed valuation. Kosciusko County is one of four counties of 92 in Indiana that do not have EDIT.
Last year, Syracuse, Warsaw and a few other Kosciusko County towns passed resolutions approving EDIT, but the tax was defeated by the county council with a 5 to 2 vote.
In other business:
• The council approved a sewer exemption request for Brad Jackson.
Last month, the council approved a request by Jackson to rezone 3.6 acres from agricultural to residential. The property is on Syracuse-Webster Road, south of Wawasee Heights.
Five houses will be built on the property and a 30-foot utility easement will be provided. According to town attorney Robert Reed, if a sewer line becomes available in the area, Jackson would have 90 days to hook the houses up to town sewer lines.
• The council approved additional appropriations for the Ind. 13 project for a total of $355,000, which will cover construction, engineering, inspection, decorative street lights and the Baltimore & Pittsburgh storm sewer project.
• Syracuse Town Marshal Tom Perzanowski reported this week is National Child Passenger Safety Week. Officers will be looking for violations.
Perzanowski and Detective William Van Vactor were approved to attend a three-day class on scientific content analysis in Indianapolis from Feb. 28 to March 1. The cost is $900 for both men to attend.
Joanna Beatson, who works in the county victim's assistance office, recently approached Perzanowski, he said, about writing a grant to provide a full-time call-out person for victim's assistance. The victim's assistant would help police gather information from the victim and help transport the victim to court when required.
The grant does ask for some type of in-kind gift, Perzanowski said. When the victim's assistant is not working on a case, she would give presentations to local groups. Beatson is also asking that Syracuse be the project manager for the grant. Perzanowski said he asked Beatson to explain the grant and what it details after Beatson writes it.
"It's being done in other counties," Perzanowski said, "but it's not being done here (in Kosciusko County)."
The full-time victim's assistant would be for the northern part of the county, including North Webster, Milford and Syracuse. Grants would be later written for the rest of the county.
"This would be a person who has a social services background and who has training in victim's assistance," he said.
The use of a vehicle is covered by the federal grant. If Beatson can show progress in the program, the grant would be renewed every year.
Perzanowski said, "The other two chiefs from the other two (police) departments have endorsed it."
The council approved Beatson to write the grant.
In other matters, Perzanowski asked the town board to draft an ordinance making Mullen Street one way north, from Allen to Bailey streets. He also asked the council to rescind the ordinance that places a stop sign at Lakeside Park. Reed will draft the ordinances.
• Fire Chief Larry Hunter said the 1974 ambulance will be auctioned March 18. He also said several local service groups are raising money to provide pediatric resuscitation kits for EMS.
"We appreciate the service clubs. They do a lot for the community," Hunter said.
Members of the Syracuse Town Council include Cutter, Paul Stoelting, Bill Hane, Barbara Carwile and Carol Koble.
