Commissioners finalize 2022 EDIT plan

Having finalized the 2022 plan for $1,170,981 in Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) funds earlier this month, the Putnam County Commissioners have now formally signed off on the plan.

With some special projects this year, including technology upgrades, a new reassessment program and the county’s bicentennial, the 2022 EDIT Plan is as follows:

• Thrive (formerly West Central Economic Development): $12,097

• Greencastle/Putnam County Economic Development: $55,000

• Putnam County Senior Center: $20,000

• Edgelea project annual payment: $29,790

• Edgelea debt contingency: $10,000

• Rural Transit: $10,000

• Beyond Homeless: $15,000

• Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry: $15,000

• People Pathways: $20,000

• Courthouse Annex project: $420,000

• Warchest: $73,451

• Highway equipment/roads warchest: $300,000

• County website: $10,000

• County e-mail project: $40,000

• Mental Health America of Putnam County: $9,000

• Assessor GIS contract: $101,643

• Putnam County bicentennial: $30,000

Among the items, one of the changes is the program for the Putnam County Assessor’s Office, which is with a company called Pictometry.

By working with Pictometry, the Assessor’s Office will be able to use GIS (graphic information system) to more accurately determine improvements to properties that are inaccessible to the assessor’s office due to geography or hostile occupants.

Implementing the program will cost $284,000 over nine years, including $101,643 for the first three-year phase, thus the amount in the EDIT Plan.

However, the improvement in tax collections should make up for the expenditure.

“What they collect in taxes over two years paid for the program,” Commissioner David Berry said.

Among the other one-time items, the $10,000 should bring the county website up to date, while $40,000 should bring county employees onto a single, secure email system administered by a company such as Google or Microsoft.

In the future, upkeep of emails should be part of annual department budgets.

Finally, no official plans are in place for a county bicentennial, but the money set aside should cover whatever is decided upon.