Kosciusko County Council heard not-for-profit budget requests Thursday ahead of county department budget hearings in August.
Nine not-for-profits requested an increase of close to $90,000 among them for 2016, which would be a total disbursement of more than $560,000. The Bowen Center, whose budget is mandated by the state, requested an extra $15,550 for a total of $570,910.
Directors and representatives of the service agencies each presented their case for their budget request. Three of them are in the middle of building or finding a new facility: the Beaman Home, which at $60,000 is seeking double its current allotment; Animal Welfare League, which requested $74,194, an increase of about $12,000; and the Kosciusko Economic Development Corp., which requested an extra $39,612 for a total of $190,000.
In addition, Cardinal Services is seeking $94,187; The 4-H Board, $36,388; Home Health Care, $43,200; County Historical Society, $19,647; Council on Aging, $42,000; and the St. Joe River Basin, $500.
Council members explained after hearing the requests how they decide which agencies to contribute to and how much, such as whether the group provides service to the entire county, what good they do for the county and how they serve the most needy in the county.
Also Thursday, council voted to allow the county sheriff’s department to fill five positions vacated in the past few weeks: two jail cooks, the jail nurse, a jail officer and the head dispatcher. Councilmen and Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine discussed the possibility of contracting with a medical company to supply the jail nurse, which is needed at the beginning of August.
And council passed an amendment to the wheel tax ordinance which adds motor-driven cycles as a class of vehicle subject to the fee, at the request of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Council approved the amendment, which needed a unanimous vote to pass, only after Councilman Jon Fussle took a moment to reiterate his opposition to the wheel tax, and after council President Bob Sanders and county attorney Chad Miner pointed out to him that it’s only an amendment needed to reflect state law and that he didn’t have the option of abstaining from the vote.
(Story By The Times Union)