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Commissioners centralize financial-institution tax to general fund; add fountain pump repair to 2026 budget
Summary
The county agreed to stop distributing FIT/SEB proceeds to multiple units and instead retain them in the general fund under a recent state law change; commissioners also agreed to add a roughly $8,200 fountain-pump repair item to next year's maintenance budget after reviewing two repair quotes.
Dubois County commissioners voted to centralize the distribution of financial-institution tax (FIT) and supplemental equipment/distribution (SEB) proceeds into the county general fund under a recent change in state law. County staff explained the state now issues an amount to each unit without requiring the county to break the receipts into multiple fund lines, and the commissioners approved keeping the funds in county general to preserve flexibility.
"The law just changed to is they're gonna give the every unit an amount, but we don't have to break it down anymore," Sandy, a county finance staffer, told the board, adding that departments who previously received small allocations (for reassessment, planning, park and rec and other units) would see those amounts absorbed into the general fund for budgeting purposes. Commissioners voted by voice to retain the FIT/SEB distribution in county general rather than splitting it among units.
Separately, commissioners reviewed two quotes for a broken fountain pump at the courthouse. One vendor quoted a complete pump and labor for $9,777.60; another quoted $70,400 for the pump kit alone without labor. The county has approximately $1,734 in the fountain maintenance fund and receives roughly $1,000–$2,000 a year from the foundation. Commissioners discussed appropriating additional funds for the repair but decided to place an $8,200 repair appropriation in Scott’s 2026 maintenance budget line so the work can be done next year and to allow the maintenance supervisor to solicit additional bids.
Commissioners asked staff to include the $8,200 fountain repair line in the 2026 budget and discussed options for using courthouse maintenance funds, seeking foundation or veterans-organization support, or re-appropriating funds at the start of the next year. The board did not authorize an immediate draw on 2025 appropriations for the pump but instructed staff to budget and re-appropriate for 2026.
