News With Stacey Page | Mid Northern Indiana News

By Stacey Page

     It’s good news for Warsaw’s financials and its tax levy.
     Last month, the Warsaw Common Council met in a special session to respond to a 1782 Notice from the Department of Local Government Finance. That notice claimed the city made an error in figuring funding for the Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory. The DLGF representative working with the city said monies from the County Option Income Tax could not be used to fund the fire territory, which the city had done. Without the money, the fund was basically bankrupt.
     CPA Paige Gregory of Umbaugh & Associates attended that city meeting and assured the council that the DLGF representative was in error and that the issue would be resolved in favor of Warsaw. She was right.
     At the council’s regular monthly meeting held Tuesday night, Warsaw Clerk-Treasurer Elaine Call said the final budget has now been approved, although not at the numbers the city had hoped for. “It’s still $125,000 less than we wanted,” said Call. Still, the adjustments on the state’s part did put $3,038,135 back in the fire territory budget.
     At the same time, because of the establishment of the fire territory, the city was left with a dormant cumulative fire fund. The $803,933.26 remaining in that budget needed to be transferred. The council, missing Kyle Babock, Jeff Grose and George Clemens, voted to move than money into the Rainy Day Fund.
     In another order of business, Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins announced that a public reception for clerk-treasurer Elaine Call will be held following the 10:30 a.m. Board of Works on Friday, March 5. Call announced her resignation last month. A caucus to name a replacement will be held Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. in the Warsaw Council Chambers. Republican candidates vying for the office are Kyle Babcock, LaShawn Brumfield and Lynne Christiansen.
     The next regular meeting of the Warsaw Common Council will be Monday, March 1. Meetings are held at 7 p.m. and are open to the public.

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