County budget hearings start Monday morning

Hearings on the 2013 LaGrange County budget will start Monday morning, Aug. 13, before the county council. All departments and county taxing units will appear before the council to “make a case” for their individual budget requests.

    The council will also meet Tuesday morning, Aug. 14, to complete their initial review. A second round of budget hearings will be held Sept. 10 and 11. It is anticipated that the county will receive information from Financial Advisor Jeff Peters prior to the September meeting. Peters annually evaluates the county revenues in an effort to assist council with setting the annual budget.

    Last year, Peters advised council members that there would be a need to either cut budget requests by some $3 million or raise revenues by that amount. The council responded in the most part by cutting the budget requests.

    There were no general pay increases for county employees in 2012. Nor were there any general increases in the previous four years. County commissioners have indicated they will be asking for a $2,000 flat annual increase for all full-time employees and office holders. Wage adjustments for part-time people have not been addressed.

    The requests vary from slightly less than appropriated for 2012 to much, much more than appropriated for the current year. Items such as health insurance, the sheriff’s department merit deputy defined benefit retirement fund, and the various TIF districts throughout the county show increases.

    The tentative schedule for Monday is:

    8:30 a.m. – Superior Court

    8:45 a.m. – Sheriff, jail, E-911

    9:00 a.m. – Health Dept.

    9:20 a.m. – Assessor

    9:30 a.m. – Commissioners

    9:50 a.m. – Information Technology

    10:00 a.m. – Geographic Information System (GIS)

    10:10 a.m. – Emergency Management

    10:20 a.m. – Coroner, EMS

    10:30 a.m. – Clerk of Court

    10:45 a.m. – Courthouse maintenance

    11:00 a.m. – Surveyor, drainage board

    11:15 a.m. – County Plan Commission

    11:30 a.m. – Highway department

    11:45 a.m. – Transfers, salary ordinance amendments, committee reports, approval of legal claims

    There will be a break for lunch with the afternoon schedule as follows:

    1:00 p.m. – Soil & Water Conservation

    1:15 p.m. – Redevelopment Commission, TIF 1, 2, & 3

    1:30 p.m. – Treasurer

    2:00 p.m. – Recorder

    2:15 p.m. – Extension

    2:30 p.m. – Council on Aging

    The schedule for Tuesday is:

    8:30 a.m. – Circuit Court

    8:45 a.m. – Parks and Recreation

    9:00 a.m. – 4-H Association

    9:15 a.m. – ARC Opportunities

    9:30 a.m. – Prosecuting Attorney

    9:45 a.m. – EDIT and Public Defender Board

    10:00 a.m. – Veterans Service Officer

    10:10 a.m. – Weights and Measures

    10:20 a.m. – Building Department

    10:30 a.m. – Council

    10:40 a.m. – Convention and Visitors Bureau

    10:50 a.m. – Auditor

    11:00 a.m. – Additional appropriations.