By Debbie Lowe, Carroll County Comet staff writer
Carroll County Council has succeeded in reducing the 2008 advertised budget by more than $1.65 million but still has farther to go to achieve bottom-line budget appropriation reductions strongly recommended by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance. After a several-hour work session that followed a standard council meeting Monday afternoon, they decided commissioners should be allowed to weigh in about where to look for the next round of decreases.
Faced with reductions in personnel to help satisfy decreases needed, commissioners will be asked to liquidate county assets, i.e. excess land around Carroll Manor, ambulance buildings and Deer Creek Park, and apply that money toward salaries and benefits.
News of the failure of commissioners to raise Carroll Manor rates sufficiently to pay expenses at the commissioners' morning meeting rankled council members. Vowing to not close the facility, council members determined by consensus facility expenses would have to be lowered to match income.
"We have to make it (the facility) cash flow," council president Nancy Cripe said. "We can't justify cutting EMS and the sheriffs department when we're subsidizing Carroll Manor residents."
"When you are in the hole, the first thing you need to do is stop digging," Jerry Hendress said. "How can we jeopardize the health and safety of our residents?"
"We cannot continue," Steve Ashby said. "I see no other way. If we continue to deficit spend, we're never going to get out of this."
Council decided to allow commissioners one last opportunity to increase income to balance expenses with income at the home. Manor superintendent Martha Lewis was directed to request a special commissioners meeting to address the issue. They will meet in special session March 20 at 5 p.m. to make decisions.
Council members also decided to request commissioners forgive a portion of the $675,000 loan from the cumulative bridge fund made at the beginning of the year. It was noted that a decision made by the council several years ago to contribute $500,000 out of the general fund for highway department wages was ill advised.
Council decided to pursue a financial arrangement with the governing board of the tax increment financing district, which collects property taxes for 62 acres where Indiana Packers Corporation is located.
During the regularly scheduled council meeting, members tabled an economic development income tax increase vote.
Auditor Beth Myers was directed to pay payroll from $200,000 out of Riverboat Gambling. She is to pay claims from the remainder, plus the current balance in county general and any income received into the fund.
Audience member Carl Perry said there was a question of how advantageous county money has been spent in the past. He suggested money from the county tax on vehicles used exclusively for road repair was wasted. He compared county road conditions to those in third-world countries.
Brown exploded at the comment.
"You are such a fool," he shouted at Perry in response to Perry's observation.
Highway superintendent Ron Francis explained that the "wheel tax" money could not be used last fall because the county council would not allow the highway department to spend the funds until they were received into the county.
"We could have done it last fall, but the council wanted to hold that money over," Commissioner Brown said. "That's not our fault."
Brown said no money from the county's general fund was utilized for road repairs in the past two years. He said the current budget crunch was a direct result of lack of county economic development.
"How many potholes can you fill with nothing?" he asked.
Smith was asked by resident Daryl Johns what research was done before EDC encouraged the three dairies to locate in the county.
Smith responded that research was done but was unable to name what source was consulted when Johns pursued the question. Smith conceded EDIT funds were not expended for research. Johns said he was against an increase in EDIT.
Accused by another audience member of keeping EDC activities out of the public view, Smith said "the EDC is open and transparent."
Johns formally requested, by citing the Indiana Code, a list of 29 people with "'contractual relations'" to the dairies who were treated to a meal last week at the Sportsman Inn on the south shore of Lake Freeman in Carroll County. He further requested to know through documentation the cost of the meal, paid for by EDC.
Highway department
Francis reported his department spent $192,691.14 in floodrelated activities. He said expected FEMA reimbursement to be approximately $154,000.
The county stopped collecting flood-related trash and debris along the roads.
"People have to start helping themselves rather than relying on the county for trash removal," he said.
"The roads are literally falling apart," he said to explain the need to stop trash hauling.
He reported that 350 road miles have been added to the county inventory system in the past 20 years and most of those roads were chip and seal over unprepared gravel. Francis said those roads are disintegrating due to water saturation and then freezing and thawing.