Decatur County tax increases

[jean]

A friend of mine has done the following research and asked me to share this information......



Please share with others:







Reading the following material gleaned from the news media, within an eighteen month time beginning May 2016 ending on October 2017, the Decatur County commissioners and County Council members raised your wheel tax 150% and your county income tax 76.7%. Your wheel tax went from $20.00 to $50.00 per vehicle which represents 150% increase, effective in 2017. Effective January 1st, 2018 your county income tax increased from 1.33% to 2.35% which represents a 76.7% increase.



To determine the effect of this increase on your taxes go to your 2017 income tax forms. On your state tax form find the County Tax Schedule (CT-40) Take the figure on line one and multiply it by the new rate of 0.0235000. Once you have multiplied line one (1) by the new tax rate of 0.0235000, you now have the tax you would have paid, if the higher rate had been in effect in 2017. Basically for every one hundred dollars in tax you paid in 2017, beginning 2018 you will now pay 176.70.



Something to ponder: All through your working career you were taxed a percentage of your income. Thus every time you got a raise so did the taxing agencies. The tax increases are built in with each raise in income you experience. With that thought in mind, why does the tax percentage have to keep going up? Do you suppose that it might be because our county is not being good stewards of your tax dollars?



Isn't the sales tax also indexed to raise each time the price of something you purchase goes up? The sales tax is a percentage of what the item costs, so yes, as the cost increases so does the sales tax increase. So, why do they keep raising the percentage they charge for sales tax?



Below is links to the news articles. You can read this for yourself.



May 2016

The Decatur County Council voted unanimously to raise the county's surtax and wheel tax Tuesday in order to qualify for state matching grants for necessary road funding. The council members seen here are (left to right) Bill Metz, Ernie Gauck, Kenneth Owens, Danny Peters and Kenny Hooten. Councilwoman Geneva Hunt was present as well. Councilman Larry Meyer did not attend Tuesday's meeting and thusly did not vote on the measure.





www.greensburgdailynews.com/news/local_news/county-council-votes-to-increase-wheel-tax-surtax/article_af549406-0f2d-5897-8d4a-c307dd2e3d68.html





County Council votes to increase wheel tax, surtax | Local ...

www.greensburgdailynews.com

GREENSBURG – In an effort to cover the cost of much-needed road repairs, the Decatur County Council moved to increase the county’s surtax and wheel tax ahead of a ...

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October 2017



GREENSBURG – The Decatur County Council voted to enact a special use income tax that will be used for the purpose of funding construction and operating costs of a proposed Decatur County Jail alongside a public safety tax intended to help fund courthouse security and more.



The unanimous vote was made at the close of a lengthy meeting that brought to an end months of debate as to whether or not the tax was the solution to funding a project expected to cost at least $16 million. (All six county council members present (Larry Meyer, John Westhafer, Bill Metz, Ernie Gauck, Kenneth Owens and Danny Peters) voted unamously to raise the county income tax 76.7%.



During Tuesday’s meeting, the council formally adopted a .5 percent special use income tax alongside a .25 percent public safety income tax and a certified shares tax of .27 percent increase in county income tax. The three taxes raise Decatur County’s income tax rate from 1.33 percent to 2.35 percent beginning January 1, 2018. (This represents a 76.7% tax increasewith only a portion of this increase being explained. For example, what is a certified shares tax?? What is a public safety income tax? My guess is this mostly represents raises. Read for it for yourself below.



www.greensburgdailynews.com/news/local_news/council-adopts-jail-public-safety-tax/article_592878b6-1804-59aa-a5f3-b17c6bcebd1a.html





Council adopts jail, public safety tax | Local News ...

www.greensburgdailynews.com

GREENSBURG – The Decatur County Council voted to enact a special use income tax that will be used for the purpose of funding construction and operating costs of a ...

Several months ago it became common knowledge that in the "County Twenty Year Comprehensive Plan" that they make a commitment to the city to support them with the new airport project. However, when you ask one of our county officials, they either cannot or will not advise what that support consists of. Come May 10th of this year we all get a chance to cast a ballot and make our voice heard.

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Here is an article that appeared recently in the Bartholomew County newspaper in regards to their 40% county tax increase. Does anyone see something similar here? Click on the link below to read the article.



This is from the Columbus Republic

ttp://www.therepublic.com/2018/04/01/letter_04012018cr_brown_kristen_letter/



Letter: Local officials not acting as best stewards of tax dollars

www.therepublic.com

From: Kristen Brown Columbus Ronald Reagan once said, “Government is like a baby: an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.” Never has this been truer of our local government than today. In January, a 40-percent increase in local income taxes began lightening our pockets

[jean]

The Decatur County Council met Tuesday morning. County Commissioners President Rick Nobbe provided an update on the Courthouse project. He stated that there is a list of 6 items that were identified to the contractor as well as 4 holes in the roof that require repair. The council approved the county salary ordinance retroactive to January 1st.

Philip Deiwert, Employment Coordinator of Rural Works, gave an overview of the organization. Rural Works is a program designed for workforce development and job retention. The organization works closely with, and receives referrals from, organizations like Community Corrections, the Decatur County Prosecutor's Office, and Bread of Life. The organization has also worked with the Decatur County Jail and the Jail Commander for the past 2 years. So far, 122 people have gone through the orientation. He has 67 graduates with 54 currently employed, generating new taxpayers for the county. The program also provides adult education including assistance with receiving a GED or enrolling with Ivy Tech. The organization has been funded by non-profits over the past 2 years. Mr. Deiwert advised the council that he expects to request about $10,000 during the county budget process beginning in August.

Dr. Jarrod Burns, Superintendent of Decatur County Community Schools and Director of Safety Rob Duckworth asked the council for funding for an additional School Resource Officer. Dr. Burns reported that there will be fewer teachers next year, with 5 positions that won't be filled. The student population is expected to decrease by 192 over the next 10 years. As a result, funding for a third SRO is not going to be available in the budget. Director of Safety Duckworth stated that SROs have 3 functions: counselor, educator, and enforcement to create a safe and secure school environment. Currently, one SRO position is paid by Decatur County Community Schools and one is paid through a 70% grant with the remainder paid by the county council. He stated that he will request an appropriation of $27,000 from the new county public safety tax and an appropriation of $25,000 from the general shares tax for a total of $52,000 to hire the third SRO. He told the council that he will bring a request for an appropriation for the SRO during the May meeting. He will ensure the appropriation request is advertised in the newspaper as required.

A representative from Maxwell Construction, the construction manager for the jail project, provided a preliminary cost estimate based on a similar project in Adams County. The cost for the Decatur County project is estimated to be about $22,730,000 with a 247 rated beds facility. The actual cost is likely to change during the bid process. The construction process must start by July 1st based on current legislation. After July 1st, a hearing would have to take place and would require a new feasibility study taking into account a possible regional facility. Additionally, waiting until fall to begin construction is likely to add 5 to 10 percent to the cost of the project. The potential impact of steel tariffs is unknown at this point.

The estimated bond for the project would have about a $24.7 million dollar cost of financing, including a 6 month buffer of $1.5 million dollars. The project would have a 20 year amortization with a fixed interest rate with 100 percent of costs coming from the special local income tax. The expected special tax revenue is expected to be about $2.8 million per year with lease rental payments of $1.9 million per year, leaving just over $900,000 to be used for jail operations and maintenance, if needed. After 10 years, the county could begin to buy down the financing to pay off the bonds early.

Jail Commander Tony Blodgett reported that the average inmate population since September is about 120 with 15-20 inmates incarcerated out of county at a cost of up to $65 per day per inmate. He emphasized the importance of a drug rehabilitation program as part of a new facility. The jail staff has dropped by 39 percent and is currently short 5 personnel. The new jail would require 2 more employees than currently on hand. The reduction of 3 personnel from the current authorized level would save the county $195,000 per year. The council approved a resolution pledging all of the special income tax revenue to the project lease.

Bryan Robbins, Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation, requested a retroactive tax abatement for NCT Technology based on a $380,000 assessed value for new and used equipment. The company does sheet metal work and fabrication. The business continues to grow and expects to add about 7 jobs this year. The council agreed to send the request for legal review.

Decatur County Prosecutor Nathan Harter presented the council with an information packet for a request for appropriation he will formally present in the May meeting. The council funded $40,000 for a new attorney. Through multiple methods of recruiting, it was soon discovered that the average starting salary posted on the ipac.in.gov/employment
website exceeded $54,000 and ranged as high as $73,000. He also pointed out the need for additional administrative help as the transition to E-Filing of documents. During the May meeting, he will request that the council alter the appropriation to permit him to offer $60,000 out of the county general fund for a new attorney, an additional appropriation of $20,000. He will also request a $34,000 appropriation for a digital administrator position to handle E-Filing, process of service, the transition to digital case files, and potentially e-discovery. He did point out that the total additional appropriation of $54,000 would be offset by the savings created by the inability to fill the deputy prosecutor position this year.

Several council members questioned why the Tourism Bureau has over $700,000 on hand. There was significant concern about missed opportunities to draw visitors into the community. The board appointed two members to look into the situation.

The council will hold its next meeting on May 15th at 9:00 am at the Decatur County Courthouse.



Tom Flemming-WTRE News



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