Tippecanoe County Council approves multiple appropriations, WIC grants and road spending

The Tippecanoe County Council on Oct. 14 approved a series of budget appropriations and grant awards, including funding for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, multiple Superior Court appropriations, prosecutor staffing adjustments and road and bridge projects.

Auditor Jennifer reported on the county’s general fund and recent revenue activity. "For the general fund, we started the year with a beginning net balance of $7,996,572," she said, and noted additional appropriations and miscellaneous expenditures were reflected in the report. Treasurer Yadera said the county ended September with a balance of $194,589,963.79 and that the weighted average interest rate dropped to 4.4 percent.

The council approved routine consent business by voice vote and then passed a series of individual appropriation motions. Major actions taken included approval of additional appropriations and grant appropriations for court operations and law-enforcement grants, highway and bridge funds, and public-health grants that will allow WIC services and peer-counselor services to continue in Tippecanoe County.

Key approved actions and amounts recorded in the meeting record: the consent agenda (voice vote); an additional appropriation for Superior Court 2 of $26,266; a grant appropriation for Superior Court 3 (grant fund 8634) of $15,000; an appropriation for Superior Court 6 of $2,656; a prosecutors’ appropriation of $2,692 to cover unfilled positions using part‑time staff; highway engineering and roads-and-streets appropriations of $150,000 from fund 11.35; $150,000 from the major bridge fund for design changes including additional trail features; a combined $675,000 from fund 11.73 for road materials and preservation; and a county surtax fund appropriation of $890,000 for Wea School Road.

Council members said the Wea School Road appropriation is largely reimbursable by the city. "The city is reimbursing us $600,000 of this $890,000 to bring it back to where it was," a highway staff member said, and council members were told the county expects to bill the city after paying the invoice and receive the $600,000 back into roads-and-streets within weeks.

Public-health and social-service grants were also approved. The council appropriated $1,264,234 for WIC Nutrition Services administration (fiscal year 2026), approved related WIC salary statements for the budget year, and approved a WIC peer-counselor grant appropriation of $121,272. The council also approved an ICAC task-force grant appropriation of $3,500 for the sheriff’s office to purchase computer hardware.

All motions in the record were adopted by voice vote with no recorded roll-call tallies in the transcript. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn; the council set its next meeting for Nov. 12.

Votes at a glance (motions recorded in the meeting transcript): the consent agenda (approved); Superior Court 2 additional appropriation $26,266 (approved); Superior Court 3 grant appropriation $15,000 (approved); Superior Court 6 appropriation $2,656 (approved); Prosecutors appropriation $2,692 (approved); Highway engineering and roads & streets $150,000 from fund 11.35 (approved); Major bridge fund $150,000 (approved); Road materials/preservation $675,000 from fund 11.73 (approved); County surtax fund appropriation $890,000 for Wea School Road (approved; $600,000 reimbursable by city) ; WIC Nutrition Services administration grant $1,264,234 (approved); WIC peer-counselor grant $121,272 (approved); ICAC task-force grant $3,500 (approved).