Budget is set

Next year’s budget is in place.

Jay County Council approved the 2025 budget Wednesday on a second reading.

It also agreed to making a rate change for local income taxes next year.

The 2025 budget sits at $24.1 million, approximately $1.6 million (6.6%) more than the current year. It includes nearly $11.28 in the general fund, about $600,000 more than the general fund from this year.

Other major fund totals are just under $3.5 million for Jay County Commissioners, $3.16 million for Jay County Highway Department — it has an additional $1.9 million from the state in the Local Motor Vehicle Highway restricted fund — $2 million for Jay Emergency Medical Service, $1.956 million for Jay County Jail and $1.356 million for Jay County Sheriff’s Office.

Next year’s budget allocates at least 3% raises for county employees. Other notable changes include:

•Three new correctional officers and a new nurse at Jay County Jail

•Eliminating a budgeted public defender position — the county previously had five public defenders but shrunk its office to four after attorney Aaron Henderson left the department to become Blackford County chief public defender in July

•Allocating no specific funds in the economic development income tax (EDIT) portion of the county’s 2025 budget, which is utilized by Jay County Commissioners for projects and funding for local organizations. Council members on a split vote decided in September that commissioners may approach them at the beginning of the year to request additional appropriations for the money.

In related business, council agreed Wednesday to rate changes for local income taxes in 2025.

Council agreed to bump the public safety tax rate to 0.25% and decrease the levy freeze rate by 0.05%.

County auditor Emily Franks recently suggested council decrease the LIT levy freeze rate by 0.05% and increase the public safety rate by 0.05% or 0.1% to help pay for the three new correctional officer positions at the jail. She shared a spreadsheet with council Wednesday and explained her financial reasoning for a rate change.

Currently, the public safety rate is 0.2%, and the levy freeze rate is 0.25%.

Local income tax revenue in 2025 is expected to be $725,333. With estimated expenses of $1.1 million. That would leave the county with a $376,672 shortfall.

Increasing the public safety rate by 0.05% would leave just under a $200,000 deficit, while a 0.1% increase would leave an approximately $14,000 deficit. (Franks noted those figures do not include supplemental distributions, which have totaled on average nearly $45,800 annually in the last five years.)

Jay County’s estimated cash balance in local income tax dollars for the end of the year is $461,700.

Council president Matt Minnich noted the council needed to decide how much to increase the public safety rate.

“In my opinion, I would do the 0.05%, keep taxes the same, and adjust the levy freeze then next year if we need to,” he said.

Council then agreed to adjust the rates accordingly.

Also Wednesday, council members (with Harold Towell dissenting) amended the salary ordinance, increasing Jay County Country Living interim director Melissa Blankley’s pay to the full-time rate at $26.45 an hour effective Sept. 23. Blankley, who is currently serving in the role on a part-time basis, recently asked to be paid the full-time rate. Council vice president Cindy Bracy suggested increasing Blankley’s pay until she leaves the department or a new director is hired.

In other business, council members Jeanne Houchins, Faron Parr, Randy May and Bracy, Towell and Minnich, absent Dave Haines:

•Made the following additional appropriations: $15,000 for vehicle repairs at Jay County Surveyor’s Office; $5,451 for surveyor’s office first deputy wages — first deputy Cynthia Whitenack retired and the office paid out her remaining sick days; $2,500 for postage at Jay County Treasurer’s Office; $2,000 for computers at the treasurer’s office; and $79.56 for postal meter rental at the treasurer’s office.

•Transferred the following: $3.29 in Jay County Purdue Extension Office’s budget from the second secretary fund to the clerical fund; $28,000 in Jay Emergency Medical Service’s budget from the overtime wages fund to the EMS reserves fund, $25,000 in JEMS’ budget from the paramedic wages fund to the EMS reserves fund and $15,000 from shift supervisors wages fund to the EMS reserves fund.