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Daviess County Council approves $10,000 façade grant, tax abatement and multiple budget and salary measures
Summary
The council unanimously approved a $10,000 façade grant for North Daviess, a declaratory abatement resolution for a new industrial structure in Elnora, salary ordinance amendments, a 3.5% 2027 planning recommendation from the Wage Committee, and two additional appropriations.
At its May 13, 2026 meeting, the Daviess County Council voted unanimously on a slate of motions including a $10,000 grant to a downtown façade program, a declaratory tax-abatement resolution for a new industrial structure, amendments to the county salary ordinance, a Wage Committee recommendation for planning a 3.5% pay increase in 2027, and two additional appropriations.
Facade grant: The council approved a $10,000 grant from the county 'rainy day fund' to the North Daviess Community Growth Alliance to support a downtown façade grant program. The motion was moved by Vice President Matt Meredith and seconded by Marilyn McCullough; the motion was recorded as passing unanimously.
Tax abatement — J. Wagler Family Properties: County Attorney Grant Swartzentruber presented declaratory resolution 2026-2 as the initial step in granting a tax abatement for a new industrial building at 13090 N 500 East, Elnora, IN, owned by J. Wagler Family Properties. The resolution approved a proposed abatement schedule described in the presentation: real property on a 10-year schedule at 10% per year and personal property on a 5-year schedule at 20% per year. The council approved the declaratory resolution as presented.
Salary and wage items: The council approved several salary-ordinance line-item amendments, including $10,000 for dispatch overtime and specified amounts for voter-registration clerks, judge, inspectors and the absentee voters board. The council also approved the Wage Committee’s recommendation that staff planning for the 2027 budget assume a 3.5% employee-pay increase; the record shows the recommendation was approved by motion.
Appropriations: The council approved an additional appropriation of $12,451.50 from opioid unrestricted funds and an additional appropriation of $2,620.96 for a Health Department CPR/AED program. All motions on May 13 were recorded as passing unanimously.
Procedural note: The meeting minutes show Tony Duncheon present as council president and listed as "not voting." The transcript records motions as "passed unanimously" but does not provide individual roll-call vote totals in the minutes text; the council’s motions were moved and seconded as noted in the record. The meeting adjourned following the approvals.
