Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Chief Deputy Katy Hampton, right, introduces new Victim Assistant Julia Fugate to the Kosciusko County Council Thursday. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Kosciusko County Council adopted the county’s 2026 budget at its meeting Thursday evening. Oct. 9. Council President Tony Ciriello said the total adopted budget amount is $89,532,920. The total adopted tax levy is $22.8 million, and the total adopted tax rate is $0.2694 per $100 of assessed valuation.

Councilman Dave Wolkins said at the council’s last discussion, they talked about the budget going to the Department of Local Government Finance and then it will come back to the county with the actual tax rate.

“Because the rate right now seems very high,” he said.

Alyssa Schmucker, county auditor, told Wolkins her office sent the council members information stating the estimated tax rate will be $0.1942. “So, this has to be sent to the DLGF within five days of our adoption tonight, at which time they will go through it and make any adjustments necessary on our tax rate. It’s going to go down based on the calculations we have at this point in time,” Ciriello stated.

Council Vice President Kathy Groninger made the motion to approve the budget as presented, Councilman Joe Irwin seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

Along with the budget, the council approved the 2026 salary ordinance, which provides a 2% bonus for county employees. A salary ordinance amendment will have to be approved in January for the probation officers, who the council approved by a vote of 4-3 Thursday a $5,000 stipend for at the end of 2026, instead of the 2% increase.

Probation officers are state employees but are paid by the county.

The council also adopted the Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District 2026 budget, which totals $517,382. The adopted tax levy is $297,734 and the adopted tax rate is $0.0035 per $100 of assessed valuation. The budget was discussed at the council’s last meeting.

Before making her final request to the council Thursday, Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Chief Deputy Katy Hampton introduced Julia Fugate to the council.Fugate is the new victim assistant for the prosecutor’s office, filling the position that was vacated when Linda Giusti retired in May.

“Julia has been with the prosecutor’s office for a number of years and worked in various capacities, including in the IV-D Office as a caseworker; in the criminal division, starting out as a misdemeanor paralegal, working her way up to the felony division; and then when Linda mentioned her retirement, Julia was an unanimous choice for this position,” Hampton said.

Fugate and her husband live in the community, with their children attending Warsaw Community High School. “She’s just incredibly compassionate, intelligent, a thoughtful co-worker and will be an incredible asset for our community as a victim assistant,” Hampton said.

Fugate worked side by side in training with Giusti for quite a while once it was known that Giusti was going to be retiring.Hampton concluded, “And I do think that she will live up to the standards that Linda set.”

In other business, the council approved:

• The additional appropriations request for a total of $15,062 and ordinance for the Victims Of Crime Act grant, as requested by Hampton. The funds are used to pay the victim assistant salary. The money from the fund comes from user fees.

• Hampton’s request to transfer $22,698 from the deputy prosecutor full-time account to the part-time account. A full-time deputy prosecutor recently transitioned from full-time to part-time so the transfer will help fund the position through the remainder of the year. The salary ordinance amendment for the transfer also was given the okay.

• Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Steve Moriarty’s additional appropriation request for $28,000 for the at-grade railroad crossing grant. The grant is 100% reimburseable.

• Moriarty’s request to apply for the Community Crossings Matching Grant 2026 for $2,057,063.15. The two main projects that they’re putting in for the grant are to finish Packerton Road from Sara Drive to CR 800S and to continue Armstrong Road from the bridge in Oswego to Old 15. It’s a 50/50 matching grant so the county’s portion will be $1,028,531.58. A financial letter that goes along with the grant application also was approved, and it was approved by the commissioners Tuesday.

• An appropriation adjustment for $341.97 from insurance for an accident that happened, as requested by Moriarty. Another appropriation adjustment approved was for $600 from insurance for a tree removal.

• Moriarty’s request for a transfer for $9,500 from KCHD overtime to part-time to cover part-time during the upcoming winter months.

• Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chris McKeand’s request to apply for a $150,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for 2025 for portable and car radios and the supply equipment to make them work. They also approved for him to apply for $21,100 in grant funds from the Kosciusko Coalition on Drug Education. Of that amount, $5,000 will go to support the Jail Chemical Addiction Program; $9,100 for DARE; and $7,000 for the enforcement division. The county commissioners on Tuesday approved both grant applications.

• A $4,000 additional appropriation and an ordinance from a Click It To Live It grant that the KCSO received, as requested by Matron Michelle Hyden.

• Four appropriation adjustments from insurance reimbursements for accidents that KCSO vehicles were involved in, as requested by Hyden. The requests were for $1,170.39 for a 2018 Ford F150; $656.36, 2021 Ford Explorer; $791.77, 2021 Chevy Traverse; and $5,150 for a 2017 Ford Explorer.

•A $6,000 transfer from inmates in institutions to property liability insurance for the insurance coverage of new vehicles at the KCSO, as requested by County Administrator Marsha McSherry.

• An appropriation adjustment request for $4,154.50 from insurance reimbursement due to a damaged 2017 Ford Expedition, as requested by County Coroner Tyler Huffer.

• For Emergency Management Agency Director Kip Shuter to apply for a $55,000 Emergency Management Performance Grant for EMA salary reimbursement; a $30,000 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant for Local Emergency Preparedness Committee table-top exercise and training; a $30,000 HMEP Grant for a hazardous materials commodity flow study; a $16,000 Kosciusko County Community Foundation grant for spill mitigation trailer and equipment; and a $150,000 State Homeland Security Program grant for fiber infrastructure. The county commissioners approved the grant applications Tuesday.

• The reappointment of Sherrie Mullett to the Nappanee Library Board of Trustees.

• An additional appropriation request of $10,000 and the corresponding ordinance for additional legal services for the county council.

• The 2026 interlocal agreements with the Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District, for $500, and the Kosciusko County Convention and Recreation Visitors Commission, for $10,000, for the county auditor to serve as the secretary and controller for them.