We’re more than a third of the way through 2019, but some Pulaski County officials are still trying to pay bills out of the 2018 budget. More than $10,000 in encumbrances were presented to the county council for approval Monday.
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Hamlet’s elected officials will get a three-percent pay raise in 2019. Under the salary ordinance approved by the town council Wednesday, the clerk-treasurer’s annual pay will go up to almost $33,200, while council members will get just under $186 per month.
The Pulaski County Council still isn’t ready to give the county’s chief deputy coroner a pay raise. Jon Frain has apparently been getting less than $150 per month for the job, even though more than four times that amount has been available in the coroner’s budget.
Funding for Pulaski County’s fiscal plan, the courthouse elevator replacement project, and reassessment expenses was among the transfer and additional appropriation requests brought to the county council last week. Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer explained that he has $50,000 budgeted annually for potential land acquisition. But since the CDC won’t be needing it for that purpose, the county council agreed to let him make $36,000 of that available for the fiscal plan. The county commissioners have since decided to hire Peters Municipal Consultants for a cost not to exceed $24,000.
The Pulaski County Coroner’s Office is facing a staffing shortage, following the resignation of the chief deputy. Coroner John Behny told the county council last week that his lone deputy Jon Frain had “had enough.” “I not only lost my chief deputy,” he said. “I also lost a facility for which to check the bodies over and do our autopsies and so forth. I’ve lost all of that. I’ve lost storage of our files. I’ve actually gone backwards. I’ve gone from having an office. I got displaced. I have nothing. Our building isn’t going to be ready for some time.”
The Winamac Park Board will get an update on drinking fountains when it meets tonight. Board members previously agreed to accept the donation of two decorative drinking fountains for the Town Park and to share the cost of another drinking fountain to be placed in Rinehart Park.
The Pulaski County Council decided Monday not to appropriate additional funds to pay part-time staff. Last month, Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston asked council members for permission to spend another $30,000 for part-time help. At the time, he reminded them that money had been cut from the 2018 budget so the state would approve it, with the understanding that he could come back later to request enough for the rest of the year.
Some important budget information was provided to Knox City Council members when they met Tuesday. Continue reading
The Pulaski County Council is working to make sure the maintenance department has enough money to pay its part-time employees through the end of the year. Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston reminded council members Monday that they’d cut money for part-time pay when they put together this year’s budget. “You guys, at that time, told me to come back halfway through the year and request enough to cover the rest of the year,” he explained. “It’s for $30,016 for Part-Time Help.”
Making sure money is available to pay Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department employees was the goal of a couple budget items approved by the county council this month. To help balance the county’s General Fund budget, council members had previously moved several staff members’ salaries into other parts of the budget. But that’s led to some new issues.
Funding arrangements for upgrades to Arens Field are back in place, following action by the Pulaski County Council last week. The airport is in the process of getting more than $200,000 worth of improvements. Pulaski County only has to pay five percent of the cost, since the rest will be covered in state and federal grants. However, much of the local match was apparently cut from this year’s budget.
The Pulaski County Council is making funding arrangements to keep airport upgrades on track. Aviation Board President Jim McDaniel says Arens Field is in the process of getting more than $200,000 worth of improvements, “A new parking lot out front, more security across the fuel farm, working closer towards, someday, they’re going to request that we fence the whole place, but there’ll be a gate.”
The Town of Hamlet’s 2018 budget has finally been approved by the Department of Local Government Finance. Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts told the town council last week that the town got most of what it requested. “The only one that they cut us was Park, which was by $1,045,” she explained. Continue reading
A backlog in cases in Pulaski Circuit Court has Judge Michael Shurn hiring a new part-time employee. The county commissioners voted Monday to let Shurn hire someone to help out the court reporter and front-desk attendant.
No significant cuts are anticipated in this year’s budget for the West Central School Corporation.
North Judson Town Council members took care of some final financial business from 2017 when they met in a special session earlier this week.
Monday night, members approved a resolution to transfer appropriated funds from various motor vehicle highway accounts. Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe explained that while meeting with Umbaugh representatives, he was alerted there were a few adjustments that needed to be made to keep everything in the black. Continue reading
Funding challenges are causing concerns for the Pulaski County Health Department. “In doing our year-end reports for our health board meeting, it’s come to our attention that we only received about $40,000 in settlement this year,” Department Office Manager Terri Hansen told the county council Monday. “We usually get at least double that.”
The Hamlet Town Council approved the town’s 2018 salary ordinance last week. Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts said no changes are planned, until the town’s budget is finalized by the state.
Pay levels for Starke County poll workers are in line with those in the rest of the state, according to Clerk Vicki Cooley. Continue reading
Salary increases for the Starke County Coroner’s Office were again discussed during Monday’s county commissioners meeting. Coroner Dannie Hoffer has been looking for a raise for himself and possibly his deputies in next year’s budget. While the final decision would be up to the county council, council members weren’t ready to approve the raise until Hoffer worked out a few concerns with the commissioners.
