Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE It's baaaack!
Discussion on the county Economic Development Income Tax, that is.
Tuesday, the Syracuse town council voted to hold a special meeting Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. in the town hall to discuss the tax.
"I had contact with (county councilman) Jim Tranter this week," council president Bill Cutter said. "We're on track with our thinking on having a public hearing on the 31st."
Each governmental unit in the county will have a vote on whether or not the tax should be imposed. The county council then votes to decide whether or not to impose EDIT before April 1. If the county council votes against EDIT, it does not pass.
Syracuse proposed EDIT at a 0.4 percent tax rate based on adjusted gross income as reported on federal tax returns. Kosciusko County is one of four counties in Indiana that do not have EDIT.
Last year, Syracuse, Warsaw and several other Kosciusko County towns passed EDIT but it was defeated by the county council with a 5-to-2 vote.
In other business, the council approved a request by Brad Jackson to rezone 3.6 acres from agricultural to residential. Previously, his request was approved by the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission.
The property is on Syracuse-Webster Road, south of Wawasee Heights. Currently, there is an abandoned house and garage on the property.
Councilwoman Barbara Carwile said, "I'm glad something is finally going to be done with that place. I'm sick of looking at it every time I drive by it."
Town Marshal Tom Perzanowski said the police department is still advertising for two reserve officers and two dispatch officers. The advertising will end Friday. They have five applications on file.
The town council approved Nancy Duehmig to serve on the park board until 2003.
They approved a request by Public Works Superintendent Kent Thielka to revamp an out-of-date floater into a side discharge spreader. A floater is a type of tractor that spreads sludge on a farmer's field. The department's floater has not been spreading the sludge evenly. By revamping it into a side discharge spreader, the sludge will be thrown evenly at a distance of more than 50 feet. The cost for Offroad Floater Equipment to revamp the machine will be $23,762.
An additional encumbrance request for $7,049.43 by Clerk Treasurer Elgie Tatman was approved to pay the balance of the engineering contract with Greeley and Hansen for the Baltimore and Pittsburgh storm sewer project.
The council approved advertising for additional appropriations for the Ind. 13 project for a total of $355,000, which will cover construction, construction engineering, construction inspection, decorative street lights and the Baltimore & Pittsburgh storm sewer project.
The new park superintendent begins his duties next week. The town council approved his salary for $28,000 per year.
Greg Miller was appointed as the Indiana Public Employers Plan representative for the town employees' work compensation.
Members of the town council are: Carwile, Cutter, Paul Stoelting, Bill Hane and Carol Koble.
