Council allocates $150,000 for county road project

Friday, May 18, 2012

While county officials remain unsure of the exact amount of money coming from an error revealed by the Indiana Department of Revenue last month, the Putnam County Council is unwilling to let a month of good weather go by without getting some work done on the county's troubled roads.

Councilmen had hoped to spend the end of Tuesday's monthly meeting discussing the use of County Adjusted Gross Income Tax (CAGIT) money coming from the state after being shortchanged since the beginning of 2011. However, they still do not have the exact numbers due the county.

It was originally announced that $1.18 million would be coming into Putnam County -- $790,673 in CAGIT funds and $393,609 in Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT). Some of this money, though, goes to other taxing units in the county, not Putnam County government.

Regardless of how much of the CAGIT money will end up in the county's coffers, though, roads are bad and the council wants to begin the work of fixing them.

While the entire $398,000 the county highway requested was not allocated by the council, $150,000 was approved to fix the area of County Road 250 West and County Road 250 North in southwestern Monroe Township.

The approval is contingent upon the county commissioners putting $50,000 in EDIT funds toward the estimated $188,000 project.

Other uses for the CAGIT funds remain on hold. Possible uses discussed at the meeting included:

* A one-time bonus to all Putnam County employees, excluding the commissioners and council, of either one week's pay or $500 for all full-time employees and $250 for all part-time employees.

"They have not received a pay raise in four years," councilman Dave Furhman said. "We cannot function without our people."

The proposal would cost the county an estimated $90,000-$110,000.

* Saving the yearly $20,000 payment the county is due to pay on the Edgelea subdivision paving project over the next 20 years. One point of discussion in this matter was whether to pay the $400,000 all at once or simply save the money for the yearly payments.

* Replenishing the county's rainy day fund.

Besides the exact totals, the council also needs to know if there are restrictions on how the money can be used. They are awaiting word from the county auditor's office on these issues.

In what was only a formality at this point, the council also approved the new wheel tax and motor vehicle excise tax ordinances. The new rates will go into effect next year.

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