The first phase of funding for lead dust and asbestos remediation at the Pulaski County Public Library was approved by the county council Monday. Council members voted six-to-one to let the library spend $25,000 out of its Rainy Day Fund, to help cover engineering and testing costs.
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An ordinance proposing a 15 percent rate adjustment to water utility bills in North Judson was introduced at this week’s town council meeting.
Eric Walsh from Umbaugh and Associates informed council members and meeting attendees that the bump would result in a customer who uses an average of 4,000 gallons per billing cycle seeing an additional charge of approximately $4.00 while residents who utilize a minimal amount of water each month would pay about $3.40 more. Continue reading
The Pulaski County Commissioners are moving ahead with a fiscal plan. They voted two-to-one Monday to hire Peters Municipal Consultants to put the plan together, with Jerry Locke voting in opposition. Of the two proposals the county received, Peters’ was apparently cheaper, with a maximum cost of $24,000, compared to Umbaugh and Associates’ cap of $35,000.
Pulaski County officials continue to consider hiring an outside consultant to help put together a fiscal plan for the county. The county council and commissioners heard presentations from two firms Monday, but no final action was taken by the commissioners. County officials have been looking at adjusting the county’s tax structure for over a year. It currently relies heavily on income taxes, which is expected to become an increasing problem as the county’s population continues to decline.
The Monterey-Tippecanoe Township Public Library will be able to issue bonds for building improvements, following the approval of the Pulaski County Council Monday. Ryan Fetters with accounting firm Umbaugh and Associates said the bond issue won’t raise property taxes beyond their 2017 levels, although there will be a slight increase from the current rate.
The Knox Community School Corporation is planning its next steps, in response to a recent facilities study.
Pulaski County will not be charging its residents a wheel tax in the near future. The issue was discussed during last week’s joint county council and commissioners meeting, after the Bureau of Motor Vehicles asked for an update.
The Pulaski County Council is not likely to address issues with its local income tax structure in time to have an impact on the 2019 budget. A sudden drop in revenues from the “LIT Levy Freeze” tax was brought to the county council’s attention in September of 2017. In the months that followed, there were some discussions about working with an accounting firm to address the issues, but little progress was made.
Before allowing a possible wind farm in Pulaski County, local officials may ask for some outside help in determining its impact on property values and tax revenues.
North Judson-San Pierre Schools will be getting money for technology and security upgrades thanks to a decision by the Starke County Council members last night.
The Culver Community Schools Corporation is gearing up for a possible operating referendum this November. The school board decided Monday to hire some outside help with the process.
The Culver School Board will continue preparing for a possible operational referendum tonight. Agreements with accounting firm Umbaugh and Associates and law firm Ice Miller to help with the referendum process will be up for approval. An operational referendum is designed to help a school corporation supplement its General Fund, which pays for things like teacher salaries.
Knox Mayor Dennis Estok alerted city council members of some changes to the general obligation bond process when they met last Thursday.
Estok issued an updated timetable for the general obligation bonds that the city will be using to finance the purchase of a pumper truck. He informed members about a suggestion made by the city’s financial advisors that impacted the timeline. Continue reading
The Culver School Board is gathering information about a potential operational referendum. During a study session Monday, board members learned about the referendum process from representatives from accounting firm Umbaugh and Associates and law firm Ice Miller.
Knox City Council members were informed about some anticipated changes to local circuit breaker tax caps they met last Tuesday.
Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston said that on March 1st, he attended a meeting with the financial advisors at Umbaugh and Associates where they presented information about funding in local government and the analysis of assessed value.
He added that Mayor Dennis Estok, county representatives, local school administrators and other city and town officials were also in attendance at the March meeting. Continue reading
Knox City Council moved one step closer to acquiring a new fire truck for the Knox-Center Township Fire Department when they met Tuesday evening.
Two ordinances related to the 2018 General Obligation Bonds that will be required for the fire truck purchase were passed on first reading.
The first ordinance authorizes the sale of the bonds while the second one permits the funds to be appropriated once the truck is ready to be purchased. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that the ordinances will need to be advertised before they can be passed on final reading. Continue reading
Declining income tax revenues have the Pulaski County Commissioners seeking some outside financial advice. They voted Tuesday to allow accounting firm Umbaugh and Associates to do a preliminary analysis and offer a proposal for helping the county put together a financial strategy.
The North Judson Town Council members renewed the town’s contract with Umbaugh and Associates when they met Monday evening.
Council President Wendy Hoppe mentioned that Umbaugh really helped save the town money last year. The council members noted that the contract appeared to be identical to last years and Town Attorney Justin Schramm said he felt comfortable moving forward with it.
The contract secures Umbaugh for consulting services related to the 2019 Budget and any other financial matters. There’s a $7,000 maximum for budget consultation, but if all the time is not used then the town will not be charged the full amount.
Though no changes were made to the agreement itself, Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe mentioned that there has been a switch in who serves as the town’s point of contact. Continue reading
The Knox Community School Board held a public hearing Monday night to gather comments on the corporation’s proposal for updates to the Knox High School and additional projects at the two other schools and corporation office.
Winamac town council members permitted Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger to move forward with a contract with Umbaugh and Associates for financial assistance with the 2019 budget.
Berger explained that the contract remained the same and the fee is still around $7,000. Last year, the majority of their efforts went toward helping them figure out issues with the Local Income Tax. Continue reading
