From left are Tim Croy, Barb Ross, Jill Gross and Shelly Krueger.

MENTONE — The woman who keeps the town of Mentone running will not be serving in her current role after this year.

“Jan. 1 at noon to be exact,” said Mentone Clerk-Treasurer Barb Ross, who said in the town board meeting Wednesday night, July 2 she was not running for re-election and said it with her usual verbal efficiency. “I’m not going to run,” she said.

Mentone Clerk-Treasurer Barb Ross

The town board convened a budget meeting following its regular monthly meeting and discussed how to fill Ross’ role once her term was up.

A suggestion was made to hire Ross as a non-elected deputy clerk, but council members agreed someone would have to conduct all the business Ross does in the western Kosciusko County town.

In another discussion, Mentone Town Marshal James Eads went to bat for his deputy marshal, Sam Bohnke. The board discussed Bohnke’s salary and mulled possibly raising the salary from $38,000 to $40,000.

“Sam’s been working out real well and I’d like to retain him and compared to some of the other departments I think we’re still a little low,” said Eads.

The board went through the budget and made adjustments that Ross will compile for sending to the state of Indiana later this year for approval.

In business conducted prior to the budget meeting, the board:

• Heard from Board President Jill Gross that Town Attorney Andrew Grossnickle sent letters to a law firm connected to a property owned by the Tridle family regarding the property’s dilapidated state as well as to KC Online regarding the company’s delinquency in paying for equipment installed on town property.

“They’re not providing the internet anymore so you can do what you want with them,” said Water Superintendent Joshua Shepherd.

• Heard a report from Shepherd regarding the clean up of downed sycamore trees on property owned by the Baptist Church. Shepherd said the property has a low area that the town has traditionally dumped biodegradable waste in an effort to fill the area.

“They’re just glad we’re dong it because there’s a great big hole there,” said Shepherd.

• Approved Shepherd to hire a high school student for the remainder of the summer.

Heard a report from Gross that the Kosciusko County Community Foundation would like to host a forum known as Hometown Chats in the town of Mentone.

“What they’re doing is they’re coming into your town and they’re putting one of these on in Warsaw, Syracuse, North Webster, Winona Lake, Silver Lake and Milford,” said Gross. The board approved the date of Aug. 14 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for the meeting.