Budget info not quite ready

The county will have to wait a little longer to get a first look at its 2021 budget.

Auditor Anna Culy explained at the Jay County Council meeting Wednesday how she is unable to begin filling the budget forms because this year’s new format from the State of Indiana hasn’t been released yet. She said she hopes to receive those by the end of the week.

The projected growth quotient is set at 4.2%, Culy said, meaning there would be about an additional $227,000 tax-driven funds for 2021 as compared to this year.

She added that it is difficult at this point in time to estimate totals in large part because of uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic, and council member Jeanne Houchins voiced her agreement.

“If we don’t err on the side of caution here, we could be in real big trouble,” Houchins said.

To illustrate the point, Culy noted a study from Purdue University economist Larry DeBoer that indicates a wide range of possible outcomes as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While the study showed that Jay County is in relatively good shape to handle the uncertainty thanks to a strong cash balance, its local income tax losses from increased unemployment could range anywhere from $278,000 to $801,000.

Some counties are looking at cutting their budgets by 10% to 15%,” Culy added. Others have been forced to take out loans or do tax anticipation warrants. Jay County –– Culy knocked on her wood desk –– has not had to do those things, she said.

“While we’re not exactly where I wanted us to be, we are in a better state than some of our neighbors,” Culy said.

She also reported that the county on Wednesday received the results of its wage study from consulting firm Waggoner, Irwin, Scheele and Associates.

The study looks at a variety of factors, including how local wages compare to those in other counties and municipalities.

While Jay County’s wages continue to lag behind that “external midpoint,” they are significantly closer than they were previously and the variance between job classifications has been reduced.

The county personnel committee plans to review the study during its meeting at 8 a.m. Friday.

Council members Gary Theurer, Mike Rockwell, Faron Parr and Amy Runyon Barrett, absent Ted Champ and Cindy Newton, approved additional appropriations:

•$15,000 from the county general fund to pay the remainder of the year’s costs

•$12,000 from the supplemental public defender fund to pay contract defenders for the remainder of the year

Council members also made final approvals on the following:

•$50,000 from the infrastructure fund for in-progress renovations to the Jay County clerk’s office

•$6,000 from the jury pay fund for the remainder of trials this year

•$2,000 from the cornerstone perpetuation fund for the location of cornerstones

•$550 from the drug buy fund

In other business:

•Approved a motion to transfer $2,000 repair building and structures and pay employee overtime wages.

•Approved a request presented by Kimbra Chenoweth-O’Brien, executive director of Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition, for the drug local coordinating council money left over after administrative costs, about $15,700, to be distributed to: Youth Service Bureau’s Keeping At-Risk Kids in School Program; Connecting the Links annual event from A Better Life – Brianna’s Hope; Project Substance Awareness and Family Education (SAFE) from Meridian Health Services; quick response team and recovery coaches from Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition; drug enforcement equipment for Portland police department; and Jay County Sheriff Office Criminal Investigation Fund for equipment.

•Met the new chief public defender, Brandon Murphy.

•Heard from the new health, human and science (HHS) educator at the Purdue Extension office, Amanda Bullion, and learned a new agriculture and natural resources educator is set to start in August and will be introduced at council’s next meeting.