From left, County Auditor Michelle Puckett and Commissioner President Bob Conley. InkFreeNews photo by Lasca Randels.

WARSAW —  Kosciusko County Treasurer Rhonda Helser told the county commissioners Tuesday that nearly $23,000 was collected last year from past-due taxes through a state program that allows counties to collect late taxes through garnishment of tax refunds.

Helser provided the update after asking commissioners to approve two documents — the board of finance organization & investment policy and the board of finance cancellation of tax warrants — at the Kosciusko Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Jan. 21.

The County Board of Finance, made up of the Board of Commissioners and the treasurer, are required to meet each year at an annual meeting held in January. County Commissioner Vice-President Bob Conley agreed to be the board of finance president again this year.

Regarding the cancellation of tax warrants, all warrants drawn on public funds that are outstanding and unpaid for a period of two or more years as of the last day of December each year are void per IC 5-11-10.5-2. 

“I wanted to touch base on the Tax Refund Exchange and Compliance System — the tracking system that we implemented last year,” Helser said. “We did collect $22,908.41 in past due taxes through that program. It is working.”

Helser received approval from commissioners in May 2018 for the implementation of the tax program to assist in the collection of delinquent property taxes. 

She said they will be using the program again this year. 

Commissioners approved both documents.

Lakeland Regional Sewer District Board of Trustees President Jim Haney requested permission to appoint Joe Cleland to the board of trustees. Haney said Cleland would be filling in for the remainder of Greg Mitchell’s term, after Mitchell resigned Dec. 1, 2019. Haney also asked commissioners to consider extending the appointment for longer than the standard four years, through April 2024, since Cleland is taking over a vacancy for the remainder of a term. 

The commissioners approved Cleland’s appointment and agreed to extend the length of the term.

County Highway Superintendent Steve Moriarty received approval to update the county sign ordinance for three intersections that are now part of the county road maintenance system. This will include ones at Crows Nest Drive in Syracuse, Crestview Subdivision in Warsaw and Bluebird Acres in Van Buren Township. The signs already exist and no new stop signs are being added.

“These are ordinances that cover pre-existing stop signs,” Moriarty said. “There has to be an ordinance behind every stop sign in the county. This is paperwork cleanup to include recent subdivisions  that have been taken in to be covered by the county highway road maintenance system.”

Other News:

• County Attorney Chad Miner presented an ordinance separating the human resources function from the administrator’s office and creating a human resources department that would then be staffed by an HR director and an HR specialist. Commissioners approved the ordinance. 
• Commissioners approved a request from County Administrator Marsha McSherry to appoint Chris Rassi to the Mentone Bell Memorial Library board.
• The next regular meeting will be at 9 a.m. Feb. 4.