Nearly $50 million in total spending was approved Tuesday when the Bartholomew County Council gave final approval to its 2019 budgets.
Two spending plans used for funding multiple operations next year that were unanimously adopted were:
General Fund ($21,508,184)
Other funds ($24,381,218)
The general fund budget reflects a 2.1 percent increase over this year. But when combined with other funds, total county spending will be up about 6.1 percent next year.
The council anticipates that county property and income taxes in 2019 will be fairly consistent with levels for this year, but with financial updates still ahead in November and February, council president Mark Gorbett said it’s premature to speculate about tax rates at this juncture.
While the general fund has been traditionally supported through property taxes, income tax revenue has been increasingly used to pay expenses following a 40 percent increase in local income taxes that went into effect this year.
Income tax revenue, as well as fees, assessments and grants, are usually included in what the county categorizes as other funds. While jail-related expenses had been paid out of property tax money in the past, it now comes from income tax revenue.
The amount being spent for jail expenses will rise from $3.38 million this year to $4.31 million next year.
For his law enforcement division, Sheriff Matt Myers will receive $4.25 million next year, which represents a 13.5 percent increase from this year’s amount.
Most of that money will be used to provide salary parity with neighboring law enforcement agencies to help attract and retain deputies, Myers said.
But the budget also includes a one-time payment of $16,350 to help fund a school resource officer for the Hope Elementary and Hauser Jr.-Sr. High campus, Gorbett said.
That amount is the difference between what the Hope area schools can afford to pay for the officer, and the $61,350 that the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. provides for its resource officers, Gorbett said.
The council agreed to pay the difference on a one-year pilot basis in hopes that the Flat Rock-Hawcreek Corp. can find additional financial resources to foot the entire bill a year from now, he said.
In a change made since last month, the council agreed to give all full-time, part-time and contracted county employees a 3 percent pay raise next year, county auditor Barb Hackman said. Earlier conversations had only included that amount for full-time workers.
Contracted employees include public defenders and other attorneys that work on behalf of the county, Hackman said.
That decision will add an additional $46,000 to next year’s budget, she said.
The most controversial aspect of the 2019 budget was handled Sept. 11. That’s when the council voted to set aside up to $4.8 million of existing income tax revenue for jail purposes before any proceeds were dispersed to cities, towns, townships, school districts and libraries.
With that issue decided last month, 14 people were in the council chamber audience Tuesday. Little discussion was conducted among council members before each budget — including a $3.94 million spending plan for Solid Waste Management — received a final vote.
However, there was extensive discussion before the council voted to advertise a maximum $6 million bond to fund a new county highway garage.
Council members such as Chris Ogle, Bill Lentz and Evelyn Pence want to use the county’s reserve fund to reduce the bond amount to $5 million, which council woman Laura DeDomenic said could save $276,000 in interest payments over the life of an eight-year bond.
However, Gorbett said he wants further assurances that the county won’t be hit by unexpected expenses before he commits large sums from the county’s Rainy Day fund.
A number of expenses that will be added in 2019 include a drug court and other measures designed to address the county’s opioid crisis.
An ordinance regarding bonding for the highway garage, which will be built near Petersville, is scheduled to be held by the council on Nov. 13.
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The Bartholomew County Council has approved a $3.94 million budget for the Solid Waste Management District, a 13 percent increase from this year’s spending plan.
The budget includes engineering services and capital expenses that will lead to the first cell closures at the Bartholomew County landfill on County Road 450S, executive director Heather Siesel said.
When the current landfill first opened in 1999, it was estimated it would serve Bartholomew County for 40 years. But technology has stretched out the lifespan of landfills, Siesel said. It’s now estimated the county landfill has about 80 years of life, she said.
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