Kosciusko County Council adopts 2025 budget, approves opioid recovery funding and multiple appropriations

Kosciusko County Council on Oct. 10 adopted the county's 2025 budget and approved a series of salary ordinances, appropriations and grant-related actions, including a $95,000 allocation from the opioid-restricted fund for two peer recovery coaches and associated tracking software.

The budget adoption was read into the record under Indiana Code 36-22-5-11 and approved after the required two readings. County officials presented the 2025 budget estimates to the council before the vote.

The council adopted the Kosciusko County Solid Waste budget for the year ending Dec. 31, 2025, with a budgeted amount of $450,721, an adopted property tax levy of $286,283 and an adopted property tax rate of 0.0037. The council then approved the countywide 2025 budget. The general fund advertised amount presented was $33,006,557 with an estimated property-tax raise of $14,800,000; the estimated assessed value shown in the meeting was 7,683,102,659 and an estimated general fund property tax rate of 0.1926. Other fund figures presented in the meeting included a health fund advertised amount of $1,296,775 (property tax levy estimate shown as $1,500,000 and estimated rate 0.0195), a reassessment fund advertised amount of $609,332 (levy estimate $800,000; estimated rate 0.0104) and a cumulative capital development fund advertised amount of $4,155,200 (levy estimate $3,000,000; estimated rate 0.039).

The council adopted the county's 2025 salary ordinance as presented and approved a separate salary-ordinance amendment for the Solid Waste district. The council also approved a merit-board compensation change discussed by the sheriff's office: $100 per meeting for each merit-board member, with five members on the board.

The sheriff's office requested and the council approved an additional appropriation of $95,000 from the opioid-restricted fund for the Kosciusko community recovery program. County staff said the funding will cover two peer recovery coaches (contracted services) embedded in the jail through the recovery program and tracking software to record participant therapies and outcomes. During questions, council members asked whether the $5,000 software purchase included ongoing maintenance; staff responded that there will be an annual maintenance fee tied to the number of individual users and that the county had not yet finalized that agreement.

The council approved two appropriation adjustments reflecting insurance reimbursements: $23,650 for a 2021 Ford Explorer damaged by water during a summer storm, and $8,900 for a 2018 Ford Explorer (the latter described as an incident involving a car dealer). Both were approved after brief presentations.

Emergency management staff (Kip Shooter) received council approval to apply for the Emergency Management Performance Grant through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for $51,847 in salary reimbursement; staff noted the grant requires no local match.

The county auditor presented an interlocal agreement for the KCCRVC for the 2025 year; the council approved the agreement. The auditor also reported a change in the amount the county will receive as the solid-waste administrator (staff noted the county previously received $6,000 and that the amount for 2025 has increased, but the precise new total was not stated in the meeting record provided).

The council adopted Resolution No. 24-10-10-1 allowing the county auditor to execute internal transfers under $10,000 (within the same fund) without separate council approval; transfers that cumulatively equal or exceed $10,000 within the same fund during a month will be brought to the council.

Other business included approval of routine meeting minutes, a salary-ordinance amendment for a food-service employee described as reflecting four years of experience (the meeting transcript records an annual salary number that appears anomalous and was not clarified during the session), and a brief report from a council member who attended the Association of Indiana Counties annual meeting and obtained a local road and bridge report from LTAP for distribution to council members.

The council adjourned after approving the items on the agenda.