Starke County property taxes are due in less than three weeks. The deadline is Tuesday, November 10. Treasurer Kay Chaffins says payments can be made online at co.starke.in.us or lowtaxinfo.com. They can also be dropped off any time at the drop box at Starke County Annex Building No. 1 at 53 East Mound Street in Knox.
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Starke County government officials are considering ways to keep their employees and the public safe, amid the threat of coronavirus. A number of ideas were raised during an emergency county commissioners meeting Thursday afternoon.
Continue readingStarke County property taxes are due in less than a month. The deadline is Tuesday, November 12. Treasurer Kay Chaffins says payments can be made online at co.starke.in.us or dropped off any time at the drop box at Starke County Annex Building No. 1 at 53 East Mound Street in Knox.
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A former Starke County auditor will be taking over as county treasurer. Kay Chaffins was selected during a Democratic Party caucus Thursday to fill the remainder of Kasey Clark’s term.
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A new Starke County treasurer will be selected during a Democratic Party caucus tonight. Kay Chaffins, Debbie Keiper and Tammie Taulbee are vying to fill the seat, according to the Starke County Clerk’s Office. The winner will replace Kasey Clark. She stepped down to take over as treasurer for the Knox Community School Corporation.
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The races are set for May’s primary elections. In Starke County, one hotly-contested office is county clerk. Current auditor Kay Chaffins is challenging incumbent Vicki Cooley for the Democratic party nomination. The winner would presumably face Republican Bernadette Welter-Manuel in November’s general election.
The deadline is approaching for candidates to file to run in the May primary. Candidates have until Friday at noon to file their paperwork with the county clerk’s office.
The Starke County Historical Society and the Starke County Historian met Friday with representatives from DLZ Architecture and Planning of South Bend to review the renovation plans for the County Courthouse. The group reviewed the projected work of each floor and the exterior of the historic 100+-year old courthouse. Continue reading
The Starke County Building Corporation recently received its long-term bond rating, and according to commissioner Kathy Norem, the county is very pleased with the result. Standard & Poor’s Rating Services has assigned its “A+” long-term rating and stable outlook to the Building Corporation’s property tax economic development income tax lease rental bonds for the county jail bond rate.
After failing to reach a quorum at their last meeting, the Starke County Council last night met once again before the end of the year to wrap up end-of-year business. Council President David Pearman passed out a spreadsheet detailing county budgets and line items with what the council expected to be leftover funds at the end of the year – funds which, if nothing is done with, would disappear.
The Starke County Commissioners this week heard an update on the county’s compliance with the new statewide nepotism guidelines, and Auditor Kay Chaffins says that they have received letters of compliance from several townships. Unfortunately, the county has not received them from North Bend, Washington, Jackson, and Center townships.
Chaffins says that although the state did not given the county much time to comply, the Department of Local Government Finance can still penalize the county for not being in full compliance. The DLGF can choose not to approve the county’s budget for next year, which can cause a myriad of financial problems.
North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry wants to remind citizens of North Judson that the town will be flushing hydrants on the nights of May 13 and 14, so residents should keep in mind to run their water to ensure there is no rust in the line. Henry says if you’re doing a load of laundry, run an empty cycle first to avoid any rust in the wash.
The discrepancies in the Treasurer’s office have almost been solved. It was reported at this week’s Starke County Commissioners meeting that the Treasurer’s balance, and bank balance were in sync within pennies. The figures came from the monthly 47TR report given to the commissioners.
“The 47TR form is basically the form that compares our Treasurer’s balance to the bank balance to the Auditor’s balance,” explained Commission President, Dan Bridegroom. “The Auditor’s balance will be somewhat different than the Treasurer’s because of how the funds are received. In the bottom line, that form out of the Treasurer’s Office should balance with our bank. That is where we had the huge discrepancy of almost $900,000 and that’s what led us to where we are today. As of Tuesday of last week, the Auditor, Kay Chaffins, and Casey in the Treasurer’s Office have got that down to somewhere around $.33 and they will find that portion of that also.”
The Starke County Council discussed the audit of the treasurer’s office at this week’s council meeting. The council, at the recommendation of President Mark Smith and 1st Source Bank gave Auditor Kay Chaffins the ability to monitor various bank accounts and checking accounts. Councilman Smith talked more about this action.
The Starke County Democrat swearing in ceremony was held Thursday night at the Knox Community Center. Former Starke County Circuit Court Judge Marvin McLaughlin swore in the various county and township elected officials. Following the event, friends and family of the candidates enjoyed refreshments.
It is the end of an era in the Starke County Auditor’s office. Michaelene Houston spent 22 years either as a Deputy Auditor, or Auditor herself. She served as Deputy Auditor under Pam Fletcher and Mike Haugh.
“November 30th, 1984, I started as Deputy Auditor for Pam Fletcher and I worked for her for two years and one month and then Mike Haugh became Auditor and I worked for him for four years,” explained Michaelene Houston. “I then ran for the office and I was Auditor for two terms. I couldn’t run for a third consecutive term so I ran for Commissioner and I was Commissioner for four years. Then I ran for Auditor again and now I’m on my second and final term as Auditor.”
