More funding for court-appointed attorneys was finalized by the Pulaski County Council Monday. Council members approved a $30,000 additional appropriation for Superior Court pauper counsel. It was requested by Judge Crystal Brucker Kocher back in August.
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The Pulaski County Council will not provide funding for a $35,000 payroll and time clock system. Auditor Laura Wheeler got approval from the county commissioners last week, but had less success when she brought the request to the council Monday.
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Funding arrangements for Highway Department equipment and jail repairs were considered by the Pulaski County Council last week. Council members agreed to transfer money within the Cumulative Bridge Fund to allow the Highway Department to continue to rent a mini-excavator until the end of the year.
Continue readingReassessment appeals could lead to some additional expenses for Pulaski County. Assessor Holly VanDerAa told the county council last week that there are 16 appeals from five different taxpayers that are still pending.
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Hiring an outside company to find potential fuel tax reimbursement appears to be paying off for the Pulaski County Highway Department. The highway department expects to bring in more than $10,000 in reimbursements, according to information shared during last week’s county commissioners meeting.
Continue readingThe Pulaski County Council finalized more than $70,000 in additional appropriations this week. A large chunk of that was pension and vehicle funding for the Sheriff’s Department, according to Auditor Laura Wheeler.
Continue readingThe Pulaski County Council and Commissioners will open health insurance bids tonight. The bid opening will take place during their joint session, scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. EDT at the Pulaski County Highway Garage.
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Pulaski County Sheriff’s Deputies’ new pension plan may soon be fully funded, at least for a year. Last year, the county council approved a switch from a 20- to a 32-year retirement plan.
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The future of the Pulaski County Courthouse will be discussed during a special joint county council and commissioners meeting tonight. The meeting notice says officials will discuss options to address needed repairs to the courthouse, potential renovations to the existing buildings, the relocation of county offices, and the various plans to address the concerns with the courthouse.
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The Pulaski County Council is asking the sheriff to look for money in his budget to help cover the cost of his deputies’ new retirement plan. Last year, the council approved a switch from a 20- to a 32-year retirement plan. That was expected to increase the county’s cost by about $28,000 a year.
Continue readingThe Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department is asking for permission to spend almost another $42,000 beyond what was budgeted for this year. Almost $13,000 of that has to do with medical bills, according to Sheriff Jeff Richwine.
Continue readingThe Pulaski County Council will consider several departments’ requests for additional help tonight. Prosecutor Dan Murphy has been asking for another full-time secretary, citing a significant increase in the number of cases being filed, along with the addition of new court programs. A vote on the matter ended in a three-to-three tie last month. Council President Jay Sullivan asked the county commissioners to weigh in, but they sent it back to the council without making a formal recommendation.
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The Pulaski County Council took action last week to make up a $20,000 shortfall in the county’s phone bill budget. Council members finalized a total of $16,350 in additional appropriations. $10,000 of that was for the telephone budget.
More details about proposed renovations to Pulaski County’s government offices are expected to be revealed during tonight’s joint county council and commissioners meeting. Back in October, Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston unveiled a plan to improve the accessibility, security, efficiency, and usability of the county’s buildings, all within a three-year period. He said the plan would include a security checkpoint at the courthouse, full ADA compliance, and a 50-to-75-percent reduction in utility costs.
Higher-than-expected phone bills are causing some challenges for Pulaski County.
Auditor Laura Wheeler told the county council Tuesday that the bill for office phones has come in $20,000 over the county’s phone budget for the year. “They’ve gone over for the last two years,” she said. “I think IT is looking into getting something changed on that, so it drops.”
A shortfall in the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department’s overtime budget has the sheriff asking to move some money around. Sheriff Jeff Richwine told the county commissioners last week that he plans to transfer a total of $17,600 into his overtime budget. “Some of this is due to people not getting moved in the matrix in time, so we have to go back and do back pay, so that’s some of it,” he explained. “Some of it’s overtime.” Richwine said that money will come out of the Dispatch Salary, Equipment Repair, and Part-Time Cooks line items.
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the county commissioners last week that he’s planning to ask the county council members next week to approve some additional appropriations.
The Pulaski County Council will consider a salary matrix amendment when it meets tonight. Auditor Laura Wheeler first proposed the changes back in July, following the adoption of a set of written “Matrix Rules” the month before. However, council members had questions about whether the EMS Department should be added into the matrix, and if so, how to do it.
A public hearing over additional appropriations will by held the Winamac Town Council tonight. Continue reading
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.
