A long time coming
For years, the Howard County Council, as many others in the state do at budget time, made reductions in budget lines with the knowledge that additional funding will be needed in the future.
The reductions are made to keep the budget in line with state spending caps and done with the hope that additional revenues received in the future will cover the costs.
Earlier this year, Councilman James Papacek said the council has to do a better job of denying requests for additional funding at the first meeting of the new year.
The agenda for Tuesday’s council meeting included no new requests for additional funding.
“For the first time in four years and two months, there are no additional appropriations,” Auditor Ann Wells noted.
What’s in the future?
At the end of 2010, Todd Rokita will be out of a job as Indiana’s 59th secretary of state.
That office is limited to two terms or eight years by the Indiana Constitution, in the same way county offices — such as sheriff, recorder, treasurer, auditor, clerk and coroner — have term limits.
During a stop in Tipton last week, Rokita was asked about his future plans. Rokita said he has no plans to run for elected office in 2010.
When asked about 2012, Rokita said discussions are taking place with his wife about that election cycle.
There has been speculation that Rokita might decide to run for governor. That could be an interesting Republican Party primary if current Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman decides to run for the higher office.
Weighing the options
Two weeks ago, Howard County Commissioner Dave Trine said Delphi Corp. was considering demolishing some of its unused facilities in Kokomo as a way to lower the property tax liability.
Trine noted that Delphi owes the county property taxes and wondered if it was possible for the county to obtain those facilities in exchange for the taxes owed. It is possible.
If the county owned the facilities, they could be used as an incentive to bring new companies and jobs to Howard County, he said.
Linda Ferries, a spokeswoman for Delphi, said the company has talked with Trine.
“We are looking at that option,” Ferries told the Public Eye.
Ferries said no determination has been made on what or how many buildings might be available.
Sprucing up
Opinions are flying back and forth about what improvements might make the Howard County Courthouse more visually appealing, from a new veterans monument to moving the “Chief Kokomo” tombstone to the Courthouse lawn.
We at the Public Eye thought we’d solicit ideas from the public, and perhaps share some of those ideas with our readers. E-mail your suggestions to either scott.smith@kokomotribune.com or to ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com.
Burton speaks his mind
There was a time when the Public Eye had to check with U.S. Rep. Dan Burton’s office to make sure it was still on his e-mail list for members of the press.
These days, Burton is sending out press releases almost daily, mostly blasting President Barack Obama’s ambitious plans. The latest, on Thursday, was entitled “Burton says Democrat Budget Plan is to Tax, Tax, Tax.”
We can’t say we weren’t warned. On election night in Kokomo, as Burton personally thanked local Republicans for returning him to the U.S. House for a 14th term, the old school conservative said he knew he faced two years in the extreme minority.
“The more you’re in the minority, the less you have a voice in Congress, but I’ll be on that floor a bunch,” Burton had promised. “We’ll have to be very vocal to make sure [Obama] doesn’t come up with a bunch of new spending or new programs.”
