Council approves budget

The budget is in place.

Jay County Council on Wednesday locked in the county budget for 2020 at $18.8 million, giving it unanimous approval on second reading.

The budget of $18,819,035 is up about 3.4 percent from this year’s total of $18,197,665. The biggest chunk of the budget increase for 2020 is in the form of new personnel, including security for Jay County Courthouse. Other increases included $105,000 for Jay Emergency Medical Services, $100,000 for culverts and $90,000 for highway department supplies. County employees received raises ranging between 1 and 4 percent, based on their job classification.

Of the total budget, $8.49 million is allocated to the county general fund. Other major fund totals included $4.2 million for the highway department, $2.6 million for commissioners, $1.4 million for Jay Emergency Medical Service, $1.3 million for Jay County Jail and $977,457 for Jay County Sheriff’s Office.

Council members Ted Champ, Amy Runyon Barrett, Gary Theurer, Mike Rockwell, Cindy Newton and Faron Parr, absent Jeanne Houchins, also agreed to have consulting firm Waggoner, Irwin, Scheele and Associates conduct a wage study in preparation for the budget process next year. The study will look at how Jay County employees are compensated as compared to similar counties as well as neighboring counties and municipalities.

Also approved Wednesday were a series of additional appropriations:

•A total of $107,500 for Jay County Sheriff’s Office to cover a variety of costs, including meals, phone, overtime and equipment, through the end of the year.

•A total of $87,500 in local income tax economic development. Of that, $75,000 is from a grant connected to the Stellar Communities application and $12,500 is to cover the cost of creating asset management plans for municipalities as part of the Community Crossings grant process.

•$75,000 in cumulative capital development for equipment needs that may arise through the end of the year.

•A total of $11,885 related to wind farm inspections. Those funds are coming from Bitter Ridge Wind Farm developer Scout Clean Energy.

•$5,000 in the jury fee fund to pay jurors through the end of the year.

In regard to the sheriff’s office requests, Sheriff Dwane Ford reported that he is considering outsourcing meal service to Tiger Correctional Services. He plans to talk with other sheriff’s departments that use the service and get additional details regarding potential cost savings.

In other business, council:

•OK’d the following transfers: $2,000 to overtime from repair building and structures, $2,000 to machinery and equipment from repair building and structures and $5000 to medical and hospital from matron in the county general fund; $318.98 to vehicles from wages - jailers) in the local income tax public safety fund; $1,440 to highway on call from office equipment and $2,300 to repairs building and equipment from office equipment in the highway department fund; and $350 to postage from office supplies in the health immunization grant fund.

•Approved an interlocal agreement in connection with the Jay! Region’s application for the state’s Stellar Communities designation. The agreement notes that, if awarded the Stellar designation, leaders from the county and its municipalities will work collaboratively to decide which projects move forward.

•Reappointed Sandy Bubp to the Jay County Visitor and Tourism Bureau board.

•OK’d the amended salary ordinance that was updated to include several new positions, including the full-time school resource officer.