The Starke County Council members took action last week to clear up some budget items.
The additional appropriation for the Sheriff’s Retirement Fund was approved in the amount of $82,107.31. Historically, the budget line item has a shortfall and this appropriation from the Jail CEDIT Fund will satisfy proper funding for this year.
The council also approved $110,825.60 in encumbrances from 2020. Over $106,000 was carried over to pay invoices received in January for the third floor renovation project in the Starke County Courthouse. The rest was to pay for COVID-19 supplies for the Starke County Health Department.
An additional appropriation request made by the Starke County Prosecutor was approved in the amount of about $2,300.
Auditor Rachel Oesterreich explained that several outdated grant line items were found in the budget with a positive balance and in talking with the State Board of Accounts, those expired grant funds can be moved to the General Fund with a motion of the Starke County Council, as long as due diligence was conducted. Oesterreich said she could not find any paperwork concerning the grants from 2014 and determined the money could be transferred to the General Fund. The total came to $23,939.27.
