Votes at a glance: Kokomo council approves 2026 budget, street vacation and salary ordinances

The Kokomo Common Council approved several items tonight in addition to Resolution 28-51. The council adopted the 2026 budget ordinance on third reading, approved a street-and-alley vacation ordinance, and advanced two salary ordinances on first reading.

Key votes and motions

- Resolution 28-51 (support for county local income tax increase for public safety): Moved by Councilman Midland; second not specified; outcome: approved by voice vote. The resolution casts Kokomo's votes in favor of an ordinance proposed to the Howard County Local Income Tax Council to raise the public-safety portion of the local income tax by 0.4 percentage points for 2026 and 2027. (Public hearing and discussion preceding vote.)

- Ordinance 72-11 (2026 budget): Submitted by Councilman Micklek and moved for adoption on third reading; outcome: approved. The ordinance sets the proposed total budget at $124,690,661, including a general fund allocation of $60,281,000, motor vehicle fund of $25,827,000, non-property tax funds of $9,500,000, and other allocations as presented.

- Ordinance 72-12 (vacation of street and alley, Motts Brethren second addition): Moved for passage; outcome: approved. The ordinance vacates a specified portion of Monroe Street and an alley after determining the areas no longer serve a public purpose and do not contain public utilities; the vacated land is to be divided and attached to adjoining lots.

- Ordinance 72-06 (salary ordinance for city officers, deputies, department heads, and employees, 2026): Moved and seconded on first reading; outcome: advanced on first reading. The ordinance is a 16-page schedule of positions and maximum salaries; summary increases stated in the meeting: noncontractual employees 1%, police 3%, fire 2%, AFSCME 6%, bus drivers 3%.

- Ordinance 72-07 (salaries of elected city officials, 2026): Moved and seconded on first reading; outcome: advanced on first reading. The ordinance sets the mayor's 2026 salary at $99,004.42, the city clerk at $46,547.95, and council members at $12,688.43 (1% increase was noted during public comment).

What council members said: The council conducted the required public hearings and read ordinances by title where statute required. Several members invited public comment, and the council voted by voice on the listed measures; the record in the transcript reports "Aye" and "Motion carries" without roll-call tallies recorded in the minutes included in the transcript.

Next steps: The items approved by the council are effective according to ordinance language; the county-level tax and bond decisions linked to Resolution 28-51 remain subject to further hearings and votes at the county's tax council and county council.