Chesterton Tribune

 

 

County close to reaching goal on general fund; final reading tonight

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By JEFF SCHULTZ

Porter County Government’s chances for having a balanced budget next year are looking good as the County Council is just a few dollars away from meeting the goal of $36.5 million for the general fund.

After working through the Board of Commissioners’ budgets at the close of Tuesday’s budget hearing, the Council’s Budget and Financial Specialist Vicki Urbanik said the total in the fund stood at $36,544,303.

“It’s really close to that (desired) number,” said Urbanik. “There’s been a lot of work between the Council, the Commissioners, the Auditor’s office and myself.”

Another highlight of Tuesday’s hearings was news that the County will also be in within reach of fully funding health insurance for County employees next year, a task that has not been accomplished in the last two years.

Before tackling the Commissioners’ budgets, the Council estimated the insurance fund needed to be at $9 million, based on input from representatives of Apex Benefits group and Stephen Brady of Heritage Advisory Group, if the County takes steps to renegotiate rates.

Funding the insurance is a combination of different sources. As one component, the Commissioners offered $1 million in unallocated county economic development income tax dollars and decided to approve an additional $327,000 from the CEDIT fund to cover drainage improvements. Commis-sioner President John Evans, R-North, said that as his board offers the funds he hopes Council members will consider enacting the fee structure proposed by the Stormwater Management Board to provide an income source for county drainage projects.

Roughly $2 million will be taken from miscellaneous non-general funds to pay for insurance. Another $4.2 million will come from the general fund itself, with some additional funding from the IV-D courts.

The last bit for the health insurance will be $1.32 million taken from what had been advertised for hospital sale interest money for the 2015 budgets.

The sum of all the parts puts the allocations for insurance at a total of $8,914,220, just under the $9 million goal.

Urbanik said the Council did not budget for employee raises for next year but workers can take comfort in the fact their insurance will be funded.

Last year, the Council passed the 2014 budgets with only $4.5 earmarked for insurance. Insurance costs are expected to peak at about $12 million by the end of the year.

Hospital interest tapped

Meanwhile, the Council voted on second reading in favor of using $1.1 million in hospital sale interest funds to provide subsidies to public service non-profit groups in the county next year, in the same manner as for 2014.

The total includes $600,000 to the Family and Youth Services Bureau, $450,000 to the Porter County Council on Aging and Community Services, and $50,000 to Opportunity Enterprises.

The amount for PCCACS is an increase of $80,000. Its director Bruce Lindner said the organization took four buses out of service due to cuts from the state and stood to lose more buses had the extra money not been allocated.

Council President Dan Whitten, D-at large, echoed comments about the “urgent” need to start a County Foundation endowment fund to generate additional interest from the hospital sale principal to sustain services of County government.

Human Resources Dept.

gets favorable vote

In other action, the Council split 4-3 in approving the Commissioner’s proposal for a County Human Resources Department on second reading.

Council member Jim Biggs, R-1st, said it’s a “disservice” for County government not to have some form of human resources available to its many workers.

Biggs has traditionally been averse to creating new positions because of the new costs incurred, but is open to an HR department because it has the potential to make changes in the County’s work rules and bring savings that way.

Council member Robert Poparad, D-at large, voiced his support as well. “I think we all feel the need to do something,” he said.

Biggs had floated the idea of setting up an HR committee or using a consultant for the time being, but ultimately supported the Commissioner’s proposal as it was with a full-time director at a $72,000 salary, a full-time assistant at a $41,000 salary, and another $14,000 for training and supplies.

Other Council members who agreed on a motion to approve the department were Poparad, Sylvia Graham, D-at large, and Karen Conover, R-3rd.

Dissenting were Whitten, Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, and Jim Polarek, R-4th.

GIS in tug-of-war

Also on Tuesday, Evans proposed moving the County’s GIS department out of the Auditor’s office and into the Plan Commission office, and give oversight responsibilities to the Plan Commission’s Executive Director Robert Thompson.

This will better serve the intended purpose of the GIS system to generate maps and be accessible to those who want to use it, he said.

County Auditor Robert Wichlinski argued it would make more sense for the system to stay in his office because workers and the public would have to travel up a flight of stairs to the Plan Commission office to use it. He added that the equipment being used was purchased out of the Auditor’s non-reverting fund and can generate information specific on a property, such as deeds.

Whitten said he “could care less” about where the system is, but would like to talk to those who regularly use the system and get their opinion.

Final reading tonight

The Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. tonight at the County Administration Building, 155 Indiana Ave., Valparaiso, Room 205, for the third and final reading of all budgets.

According to the state’s deadline, the County is to have its budgets submitted by Friday, Oct. 31.

 

Posted 10/30/2014

 

 

 

 

 

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