Council Takes First Look At Budgets
WARSAW — Getting a 10-minute late start, due to a lack of quorum, Warsaw Common Council took its first look at the 2016 budget proposals for not-for-profits and four city departments.
Not-for-profit requests totaling $206,000 were received from Kosciusko Community Senior Services, Animal Welfare League, City County Athletic Complex, Kosciusko Area Bus Service, Warsaw Community Development Corp., Warsaw Housing Authority, Kosciusko Economic Development Company and Center for Lakes & Streams. Each utilized the 10-minute time allotted to present information on how it serves the the city.
This was the first year Kosciusko Community Senior Services has presented a budget to the city. All other entities, with the exception of KABS, WCDC, KEDCO and Center for Lakes & Streams, requested the same dollar amount as in 2015.
KABS requested an additional $10,000 for a match to purchase a new bus.
WCDC requested a $4,900 increase to cover two programs in 2016: a second and third floor character study to utilize second and third floor space in the downtown district, and a market study for the downtown area.
Center for Lakes & Streams requested a $5,000 increase to continue research and collaboration issues concerning Warsaw Lakes. Past and continued studies include E. Coli issues at Pike and Center lakes, economic impact of the lakes and algae toxin study.
KEDCO requested an additional $5,000 as it will need to move from its current location due to expansion of the probation department. Rent and utilities have been included in the 2016 budget.
Individual budget requests are: Kosciusko Community Senior Services, $15,000; AWL, $19,000; CCAC, $31,000; KABS, $28,500; WCDC, $17,500; WHA, $30,000; KEDCO, $55,000; and Center for Lakes & Streams, $10,000.
Department Budgets
Department budgets for human resources, mayor, clerk-treasurer and council were presented. It was noted a salary increase of 3 percent, along with a 15 percent increase for medical insurance were included in budgets. Mayor Joe Thallemer noted while the 3 percent increase was included, in the end there will be budget cuts and not everyone will get a 3 percent wage increase.
Jennifer Whitaker, human resources, presented a $206,484 budget for her department, up from last year. It was noted she presented a $176,310 initial budget but following $13,000 in line cuts her budget is $153,310.
Thallemer presented the mayor’s, council, EDIT, Riverboat, Cumulative Capital Development and Cumulative Capital Improvement Fund budgets.
The budget for the mayor’s office totals $152,472, an increase of $6,910. His budget also included technology costs. The council’s budget included the non-profit contracts as well as contracts for payroll, website, engineering services, legal and professional services, parking lot rentals, downtown event and public arts coordinators. This budget is proposed at $346,060, compared to $353,660.
The EDIT budget remains the same as 2015 at $1,493,000. These funds are utilized for economic development projects received from the EDIT tax. Funds fro the Riverboat budget are generated from funds received from the state. Both funds have included money for the demolition of the Gatke building and possibly Arnolt and Indiana American Waterworks buildings.
The cumulative capital development fund includes stormwater project engineering, stormwater repairs and maintenance, street, sidewalk curb repairs and stormwater capital improvement projects. This budget total is $845,698 compared to $914,614 in 2015. The budget estimate for the cumulative capital improvement fund, received from the cigaret tax, and used for the bike/walk paths is at $65,000, no increase over 2015.
The final budget reviewed was the clerk-treasurer’s budget, which is a 1.14 percent increase over 2015. The proposed 2016 budget is $167,586.10.
Additional budgets in the general fund will be looked at starting at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17.