County plans to be stricter

In some ways, 2016 will be the same as 2015.
At their first meeting of the year, the Jay County Commissioners voted to keep Faron Parr as president and Jim Zimmerman as vice president.
The commissioners also heard from Sheriff Dwane Ford about a potential vehicle purchase and progress toward getting a second K-9 for the department.
The drainage board will remain the same as well, with Zimmerman as president and Doug Inman as vice president.
The commissioners also voted to retain all unelected department heads — Building and Planning, John Hemmelgarn; Cooperative Extension Service, Larry Temple; Emergency Management Agency, Ralph Frazee; Emergency Medical Service, Pat Frazee; Health Department, Jerry Whetzel; Highway Department, Ken Wellman; Retirement Center, Patti Clevenger; Veterans Affairs, Cliff Moser and Welfare, Betty Lyons — for 2016 and renewed the county’s animal control annual contract with Bill and Kathy Fields, who provide services for $43,000 a year.
What will change is the commissioners’ strictness on encumbrances.
Noting the tightness of this year’s budget, the commissioners agreed departments running on tax-driven funds shouldn’t be allowed to encumber leftover 2015 money for non-specific purposes. Department heads will explain their requested encumbrances to the commissioners later this month.
In September, as county council was struggling with the 2016 budget, Zimmerman said at a commissioners’ meeting that large encumbrances can be a sign of poor planning. When funds are encumbered without a good reason, money that could have gone back to the county general fund is tied up by departments.
Ford told the commissioners he would be meeting with Tyson Mexican Original about the possibility of the company donating to pay for a K-9 for the sheriff’s office.
“They realize the drug problem they have out there,” he said.
Half of employees injured in accidents test positive for drugs, Ford said.
The dog would be the department’s second. In July, deputy Ruben Vela and his K-9 partner Aron finished training.
Ford also told the commissioners he is interested in purchasing a new vehicle to replace the one used by deputy Ray Newton. His has more than 120,000 miles on it, and will become a reserve vehicle.
The sheriff plans to get quotes on a Ford Explorer. He’ll be trading in a vehicle used now by the reserve officers.
In other business, the commissioners:
•Approved Jay County Development Corporation’s five-year capital improvement plan.
•Discussed the need to appoint a replacement to the Jay County Plan Commission for Steve Ritchie, whose resignation was effective Dec. 31. None of the commissioners were aware of anyone interested in filling the spot.