Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Due to an advertising error on the Gateway website, the additional appropriation of bonds request by the Turkey Creek Township Public Library for almost $7.4 million for a new library was tabled Thursday night by the Kosciusko County Council to their June meeting.
The Indiana Gateway for Government Units is the online portal in which local government units in the state of Indiana submit required data. It also serves as a public access tool for citizens.
Council President Tony Ciriello explained, “So we received information today from the DLGF (Department of Local Government Finance), we did at the county level, to say that there was some type of error in advertising back in January. Probably no fault of the library because of the Gateway problem, but it still did not fall within the statutory requirements of the advertising time limit.”
The opinion of the DLGF was the request could not move forward Thursday. However, the library received different information from someone else at the DLGF saying it would be fine if the dates were moved around.
“So we have conflicting reports that we as a council have talked about, and we want to investigate further and make sure we’re still legal and above board. So we don’t want you guys to get hurt, we don’t want to get hurt, so it’s going to be the recommendation, I believe, of myself as the president, if the rest of the council agrees, to table any further discussion on this to our June (11) meeting and reopen it up for public hearing, if need be, and then seek input then. And it gives us a chance to sort through all of this to make sure we’re all on the same page and nobody gets hurt, nobody gets penalized,” Ciriello stated.
Sarah Correll, bond counsel for the library, said they appreciated that and they also want it all to be legal and above board.
The matter was tabled unanimously by the county council.
Later in the meeting, Kyle Tom spoke about not only the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Library’s request, but also the Warsaw Community Public Library’s request for a $17 million additional appropriation that will go before the Warsaw Common Council on Monday.
While Syracuse’s request was for $7,385,000, he said that wasn’t a real number because it didn’t include compound interest over 20 years. Right now, the compound interest on a bond in Indiana is 3.63%. Over 20 years, Tom said that $7,385,000 comes to $15,068,168.32.
Warsaw Library’s request for $17,090,000, with compounded interest at 3.63% over 20 years, comes to $34,870,006.30.
“If you’re looking at the square footage for the library - just to be redone - is 21,447 square feet. That equates to $1,625 per square foot. That is an astronomical number. Can’t even fathom that,” Tom said.
He said he attended the Warsaw Library’s last board meeting on Monday and was disappointed in not only what he heard, but he stated they also wouldn’t let anyone speak unless you were “pro-library.”
He also spoke about how he didn’t believe the library had as many visitors as the library claimed, and the library’s highest paid executive was paid $110,000 annually.
Tom suggested the money could be better used for the police and sheriff’s office.
Ciriello said the county council’s role is just to deal with the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Library’s request, but the council appreciated Tom’s comments.
Marsha Huffman also spoke up about the libraries and the idea of a county parking garage, saying everyone needs to live within their budget. She suggested a second shift for employees could help with downtown parking during the day.
Milford Library Director Karl Stutzman gave the council an “early heads-up” the Milford Library may be looking at a “pretty modest additional appropriation” request that will come before them for a binding review.
“What’s going on is we’ve got some AC and elevator components that may be on their way sooner than we might have expected. Money is in the bank. We’re not talking big crazy amounts of money, and we’ll be as transparent as possible and want to answer all your questions,” he said, adding that the more formal stuff will be brought before the council later.
TCRSD
Earlier in the meeting, County Auditor Alyssa Schmucker presented an additional appropriation request for $560,000 from a Community Development Block Grant for the Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District.
She explained, “In September of ’25, the commissioners approved a request that was presented by Shannan (Gardner) from Baker Tilly on behalf of the Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District. The project involves sewer and water upgrades in the Enchanted Hills area, Turkey Creek and Enchanted Hills and Turkey Creek Township.”
Schmucker said Gardner requested the commissioners support and give permission to apply for the grant through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) for the $560,000. The sewer district will provide the entire local match, and no county funds were requested. The county will serve as the pass-through for the grant.
The grant was awarded to the sewer district, and the additional appropriation Thursday night was required to distribute the funds once there’s a subrecipient agreement executed by the county commissioners, Schmucker stated.
The county council approved the request, with Councilwoman Kimberly Cates recusing herself because she was recently appointed to the sewer district board by Indiana Gov. Mike Braun.
All Approved
In other business, the council approved:
• An additional appropriation request totaling $1,606,529 from the Kosciusko County Highway Department’s Community Crossings Matching Grant (CCMG) fund, as requested by Assistant Superintendent Troy Kintzel.
He said the 50/50 matching grant funds will be used for the resurfacing of Armstrong Road, Packerton Road, CR 400S, Packerton Road from 400S to 300S and CR 300S, Packerton from CR 300S to 225S and Packerton Road from CR 225 to Sarah Drive.
The grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation will pay for half of the costs of the resurfacing, with Motor Vehicle Highway funds out of the highway department’s budget paying for the other half.
• The additional appropriation of $92,500 from the Opioid Unrestricted Fund for the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office’s (KCSO) new body scanner, and a transfer of $22,500 from the Opioid Unrestricted KCSO Family Counseling fund to the body scanner fund. The county commissioners and Opioid Committee previously approved the total of $115,000, with the remainder of the cost of the body scanner coming from the KCSO commissary fund.
• An additional appropriation request for $343 and another for $11,001.27 from insurance checks for KCSO vehicles that were damaged in accidents, as requested by Lt. Mike Mulligan.
• An additional appropriation request from the KCSO for the 2026-27 Indiana Department of Natural Resources grant, which totals $15,000, as requested by Sheriff Jim Smith.
• An additional appropriation for $2,500 from the insurance company for damage to a highway department vehicle involved in an accident, as requested by Kintzel.
• Kosciusko County Superior Court I Judge Karin McGrath’s request for a $27,500 additional appropriation from the Adult Supplemental User Fees account for operating supplies, supplemental mileage and travel, supplemental training and drug testing.
• McGrath’s request to apply for a $40,000 opioid grant from the county for the Reentry Court.
• A request from Katy Hampton and Julia Fugate, Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, to apply for a $110,500 Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Victim Of Crime Act grant for 2026-27.
• Community Corrections Director James Henry’s request for a transfer of $30,937 from electronic monitoring to equipment for the purchase of five new body cameras and two new Tasers.
• Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver’s request to transfer $41,000 from Health First Indiana special projects to Warsaw Community Schools health liaison; and $5,000 from HFI special projects to Live Well Kosciusko.
• The appointment of Jayde Wilkinson to the Turkey Creek Public Library Board, replacing Jill Howard. Wilkinson’s term expires Dec. 31, 2028.
