Commissioner Kathy Norem submitted budget figures for the 2019 Starke County Commissioners budget in the General Fund to Auditor Kay Chaffins when the commissioners met last week.
Norem explained that there aren’t too many line items in the budget, but it is one of the biggest funds as they take care of the payment of health insurance and benefits.
A lot of the line items will be the same as last year including the commissioners’ salaries and P.T.A.B.O.A. board, unemployment, tax sale, travel expenses, dues and subscriptions, soldier monuments, Starke County Fair Board, Community Services of Starke County, Marshall-Starke Development Center, Starke County Historical Society, 4-H Clubs, other services and charges, animal control, and courthouse monument flags.
Norem said the biggest increase proposed in the budget is a 10 percent increase for insurance costs. She said the costs seem to increase every year so they will be ready for it in 2019. An increase to the county attorney was proposed as well as money for legal fees, workman’s comp and juvenile detention efforts.
A reduction in liability insurance was requested in next year’s budget.
The commissioners voted unanimously to submit the proposed budget to the auditor to include in upcoming budget discussions. Chaffins said Social Security and PERF amounts are estimated. The budget is around $2,720,000.
