When the Howard County Council begins work this week on the 2010 budget, many unknowns will impact the final decisions.
The council will meet Wednesday and Thursday to review each departmental and office budget. It will finalize work on the budget in September.
One of the big unknowns is whether an agreement can be reached with Chrysler Group LLC regarding $2 million in personal property taxes owed to the county by Chrysler LLC, which emerged from bankruptcy earlier this year.
Another unresolved question is when General Motors Co., which took over Kokomo’s Delphi facilities, will pay $3.7 million in taxes due in November.
Laurie Martin, chief deputy in the Howard County Auditor’s Office, said the 2010 budget request is $19,511,561, as compared to the $19,566,132 budget approved for 2009.
Martin said County Option Income Tax revenue is expected to decline by $950,000, according to figures provided by the state.
“If the council approves the budget as requested, we will have a zero operating balance,” she said.
Currently, the county has a $4.9 million operating budget.
She said the council has cut $500,000 from the 2009 budget and needs to carry over those spending reductions into next year. It must also cut another $500,000.
Martin said county employees will likely not receive a pay increase for the second consecutive year.
“I don’t know exactly what they have to do,” she said.
Councilman Paul Wyman, R-4th District, who is chairman of the budget committee, said the council won’t go into 2010 without an operating balance.
“We will make the cuts that need to be made,” Wyman said. “We should have the revenue shortfall numbers before the budget session begins. We will meet the shortfall through budget cuts.
“We have to remain flexible,” he said. “There is time to work through some of the issues.”
Wyman said if the situation with Chrysler Group LLC changes between the work sessions and final action in September, the council can make changes to the budget.
“The one certain thing is there will be a shortfall,” he said.
In the 2010 budget request, there are no requests for new employees. Also, salaries of the Howard County assessor and Center Township assessor are being moved from the county’s general fund to the Reassessment Fund, resulting in a $98,024 savings.
The council, too, will consider moving $85,000 in salaries currently paid in the surveyor’s budget from the general fund to another account.
• Ken de la Bastide is enterprise editor of the Kokomo Tribune. Contact him at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com or (765) 454-8580.
Local News
Plenty of unknowns in county budget
Howard County Council starts work on 2010 fiscal plan
- Local News
-
-
UPDATE: Police look for witnesses of face-chewing attack
Authorities in Miami are looking for more witnesses after a police officer fatally shot a naked man who refused to stop chewing on the face of another naked man - even after being shot once by the officer - on a busy downtown highway ramp.
-
Witness: naked attacker was chewing on man's face
Miami police have released few details. Police detective says neither man's identity had been determined. Hospital spokesman said Monday the facility would not release information on the victim.
-
Wind farm company seeks tax abatement
Howard County officials are being asked to consider a 10-year tax abatement for the proposed wind farm in the eastern portions of the county.
-
Local ceremonies honor those who fell in combat
Everyone who had gathered Monday afternoon at Darrough Chapel Park was there to remember the hundreds of names below their feet. Each brick in the Howard County Veterans Memorial’s Walk of Honor had the name of a soldier who died in battle.
-
Carver Center selects new director
Former Kokomo city councilman Dennis Morgan is expected to take the reins at the Carver Community Center, just ahead of the annual Ribfest fundraiser.
-
Colts ‘bring blue’ to Kokomo with team’s Fan Fest
The Indianapolis Colts will host a Fan Fest from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. June 22 at Foster Park, 721 W. Superior St., Kokomo. A free community concert by Poco will begin at 6:30 p.m.
-
$50,000 pantry fundraiser at $4,390
A fundraiser for Howard County food pantries was less than one-tenth of the way to the goal at the campaign’s half-way mark, according to one of the organizers.
-
Fans remember Dan Wheldon at Indy 500
Fans of the Indianapolis 500 took time on race day to remember Dan Wheldon, the popular driver who died in a crash last year at Las Vegas Speedway.
-
Sixth-grader read dictionary twice to prepare for spelling bee
Sixth-grader Pranav Haran spent six weeks reading through the entire dictionary twice.
That’s more than 472,000 word entries.
-
Library building costs may rise to finish project
The Kokomo-Howard County Public Library’s Outreach Building is looking good from the outside, but library officials indicated this week they’ll need additional funds to complete the project.
- More Local News Headlines
-
UPDATE: Police look for witnesses of face-chewing attack




