The Starke County Council and Commission members will begin budget discussions on Monday, Aug. 6.
The government leaders will be meeting with department heads beginning at 8 a.m. in the meeting room in the Starke County Annex Building No. 1. The officials will discuss needs for each department and how budgets can stay status quo for 2019.
Any potential increases will be reviewed for further consideration.
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler recently presented a preliminary look at the highway department’s budget to the county council. Less gas tax money will assist with road projects in 2019. Ritzler said about $370,000 less will come to the county in 2019.
Ritzler noted that the county’s asset management plan has allowed the department to move some projects around to accommodate this loss in funding. He stressed that local services will NOT be cut.
Starke County Commissioner Kathy Norem told WKVI News that they don’t have any capital projects outlined yet. She said they typically prioritize projects at the beginning of the year.
