The Starke County Park Board will meet tonight for the first time in more than six months. All of the meetings since September had been canceled. Board members had planned to resume meeting last month, but severe weather and road conditions kept them from meeting.
Continue readingThe Starke County Council members recently received a Notice of Claim from Tom DeCola who was expelled from his seat on the Starke County Council on Feb. 18.
DeCola claims that he was not given the full 30 days to respond to allegations of disorderly conduct and public intoxication during a “social event hosted by the Indiana Association of Counties” in Indianapolis. He stated that the deadline was technically Feb. 21 and he was asked to provide an explanation during the council’s meeting on Feb. 18. During that meeting DeCola had this comment, “After reviewing the paperwork that was handed to me, I read it and decided that it was my in persona civil cause of action and that it wasn’t an authoritative official cause of action. So, I decided it’s not even worthy to respond to it.”
DeCola also claims the Starke County Council wrongfully expelled him for allegations that were outside his term. He took office on Jan. 1, 2019 and the allegations occurred on Dec. 12, 2018. He said he wasn’t acting under any type of official duty and has not been criminally charged. He also claims the witnesses who gave statements were unreliable.
DeCola’s oath of office was filed on Dec. 7. Witnesses at the conference in Indianapolis stated he introduced himself as a Starke County Councilman.
Starke County Attorney Marty Lucas said the claim is currently under review.
In a press release, Starke County Council President Dave Pearman said the fiscal body may, by state statute, “(1) expel any member for violation of an official duty; (2) declare the seat of any member vacant if the member is unable or fails to perform the duties of the member’s office; and (3) adopt its own rules to govern proceedings under this section, but a two-thirds ( 2/3 ) vote is required to expel a member or vacate a member’s seat.”
Pearman stated that DeCola’s Notice of Claim will be discussed during the council’s next meeting on Monday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. CT in the meeting room in the Starke County Annex Building No. 1 at 53 E. Mound Street in Knox.
Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin asked the county council members last week to create new line items in the sheriff’s budget to ensure money is being deposited into separate accounts for different aspects at the sheriff’s department.
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The Starke County Fire Association members are currently reviewing the First Responder program operations.
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The Starke County Council members approved Rainy Day Funds to clear up a fund in the red and for equipment for a transfer unit at Starke Hospital.
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The Starke County Council members approved the appropriation of CEDIT funds for highway infrastructure improvements.
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After deciding not to respond to allegations against him in an incident in Indianapolis, the Starke County Council voted by a majority to expel Tom DeCola from his seat on the council.
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The Starke County Council members will meet tonight where they will consider a request from Sheriff Bill Dulin about the creation of new funds based on home rule local funds. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler will present a request for a CEDIT appropriation and the council will also receive an update from Coroner Jack Rosa, a discussion on personnel with Clerk Bernadette Welter Manuel, and consider a transfer request from the 2018 commissioner’s budget.
Continue readingUpdate: Tonight’s Starke County Park Board meeting has been canceled due to weather. The next regularly-scheduled meeting is Tuesday, March 12.
The Starke County Park Board will meet tonight for the first time in more than five months. It will be the first meeting for new member Rik Ritzler, who was appointed by the county council last month. Ritzler previously worked with the park board on various projects, in his capacity as county highway superintendent.
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Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin asked the Starke County Council members this week for an increase in pay for the Merit Board members out of sheriff’s budget.
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After all of the work was done to cut about $833,800 from the 2019 budget, the Starke County Council found that they are unable to give raises to county employees this year.
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The Starke County Council members reorganized on Tuesday night and made several appointments to county boards and commissions.
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The Starke County Council members will meet tonight where they will organize and review the newly approved code of conduct for all council members. Three new council members will attend their first meeting since being elected. Howard Bailey Jr. and Tom DeCola were elected to their seats in the November General Election while Kay Gudeman was selected in a Republican Party caucus to fill the unexpired term of Bryan Cavendar who was elected as a Starke County Commissioner in the November election. They join Dave Pearman and Brad Hazelton who were reelected in the General Election and At-Large members Freddie Baker and Bob Sims.
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The Starke County Republican Central Committee held a caucus on Saturday to fill the unexpired term of Bryan Cavendar who held the Starke County Council At-Large seat. He was elected District 2 Starke County Commissioner in the November General Election.
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The residency of Starke County Republican Councilman-Elect Tom DeCola is in question after the issue was raised during the Starke County Council meeting.
DeCola was elected as the Starke County Council District 4 representative in the General Election gathering 84 votes more than his opponent Democrat Karen Tibbs.
The Starke County Council discussed necessary budget cuts to the 2019 budget when they met Monday night.
The Starke County Council members will meet tonight where they will review cuts needed for the 2019 budget. At their last meeting, the council members urged the department heads to cut at least six percent out of their budgets or the council members will need to do the reductions. The state cut more than $830,000 from next year’s budget and it needs to be finalized prior to Dec. 31 of this year.
The Starke County Commissioners are looking for interested, qualified candidates to fill several vacancies on boards and commissions in 2019.
The Starke County Commissioners are working to upgrade security at the Starke County Annex Building No. 1.
The Starke County Election Board members will be looking into upgrading the county’s Microvote voting machines.
