Kosciusko County Plans $47M Budget For 2021
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — Kosciusko County is planning to have $47,167,020 for its 2021 budget.
The Kosciusko County Council adopted the budget at its regular meeting on Thursday, Oct. 8, in the Justice Building’s Multi-Purpose Room. It had a hearing on the budget on Thursday, Oct. 1.
That breaks down to $27,002,174 in the general fund; $441,993 in the 2015 reassessment fund; $4,629,116 in the highway fund; $900,000 in the local road and street fund; $1,000,000 in the cumulative bridge fund; $965,003 in the health fund; $784,751 in the emergency telephone system fund; $1,968,532 in the cumulative capital development fund; $2,741,000 in the economic development income tax CEDIT fund; and $500 in the redevelopment general fund.
The $47,167,020 also includes $6,733,951 in miscellaneous funds that don’t have to be reviewed by the state.
The council also granted a request by Kosciusko County Superior Court 1 Judge David Cates to establish a family recovery court, which helps parents with substance abuse issues deal with those and in some cases with regaining custody of their children.
He referred to it as “a problem-solving court” and said “it would be the third such court in our county,” the others being the drug court and veterans’ court.
“It is for families of children in need of services or kids who have been abused or neglected,” he said. “And the Department of Child Services is tasked with reuniting these kids with their families, parents ought to parent their own children. But these kids need to be back in safe, sober homes with engaged parents and the idea is how do we get that to happen as quickly as possible?”
“Studies show that reunification happens as much as two times faster than with a typical CHINS (Child in Need of Services) case,” he said.
He said weekly meetings would occur with the court versus him meeting with parents in a normal CHINS case about every six months. He presented the idea to the Indiana Supreme Court and received the members’ blessing.
He also said he’s communicated with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), DCS, public defenders and service providers about the issue.
Cates’ next step is to try to get grant funds from the state and the community foundation for the court. One council member suggested that he try to get funds from the K21 Health Foundation as it might be considered helping kids’ mental health.
His plan is to start it in July 2021.
In other business, the council also:
- Approved an additional appropriation for the health department of $30,000 for personal care supplies. That was requested by Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver.
- Approved Kosciusko County Assessor Susan Engelberth’s $40,000 request to purchase a vehicle for her department.
That includes the vehicle, insurance, gas and oil and repairs and maintenance.
- Approved an additional appropriation of $133,000 requested by Kosciusko County Emergency Management Director Ed Rock for building repairs.
That will be paid for by a grant and will cover updating safety measures in the justice center, including allowing security officers at the entrance to be protected by bulletproof glass.
- Approved Kosciusko County Teen Court Interim Director Lana Horoho’s request to seek a grant for the court for 2021.
She said the program has had a more than 90% success rate, which helps kids who are in trouble with the law. Horoho also pointed out the program’s Keeping It Real event is 5:30 p.m. Oct. 26.
Teens hear from adults who have been in trouble with the law themselves about how they overcame their issues and learned from their mistakes.
Cates mentioned the Indiana Supreme Court commended the unique event just on Thursday, Oct. 8.
- Approved an additional appropriation of $1,332 and a transfer of $852 between funds requested by the soil and water conservation district.
- Approved supporting Kosciusko County Surveyor Mike Kissinger’s request for $357,000 to fix a drain with tile.
That process actually still needs to go through a hearing. Also landowners in the drain area will pay back the county for the cost.
The council’s next meeting is 6 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Justice Center’s Multi-Purpose Room.