Ronald Gates of Warsaw was named March’s Veteran of the Month. An Army veteran, Gates served in Vietnam for one year in 1968.

Property tax bills will be mailed out possibly as soon as next week. Kosciusko County Treasurer Sue Ann Mitchell told the county commissioners this morning that 62,170 bills will be printed and mailed.

She said it’s important to note that Kosciusko County will be one of the first counties in the state to get tax bills in the mail. Spring taxes are due May 12. Fall taxes are due Nov. 10.

There are several ways to pay bills. There is a drop-off box outside the courthouse, and another one outside the treasurer’s office inside the courthouse. People can also pay on-line at www.kcgov.com.

By offering convenient drop boxes, people hopefully won’t run the risk of paying bills late or the payments getting lost in the mail, said Mitchell. “We want to make it simpler,” she said.

Mitchell also discussed a service agreement with Lake City Bank. She said the service fee will cost more in the beginning, but the interest rate will be much better.

The current interest rate for the money on deposit with Lake City Bank is .15 percent. The new rate will be the federal fund rate, plus .20 percent. Today, that would be .28 percent based on the current federal funds rate, or “almost double what we are receiving now,” she explained. The new rate will affect the money on deposit. The net projected increase in interest, after the increase in service charges, will be $20,000-plus, noted Mitchell.

“Our interest was poor,” she said of the previous fund. “This will net us more interest.” The commissioners approved the agreement with LCB.

Mitchell also gave a report on attendance at its county government booth at the Home and Garden Show, which was held March 7-9. She said there were 223 people who signed up for a weather radio drawing.

She also said the Association of Indiana Counties district meeting will take place April 16 in Auburn. Mitchell is vice president of the northeast district.

Commissioners approved quotes for three new pickup trucks for the highway department. One of the trucks, with a trade-in, will be purchased at Kerlin Motors, Silver Lake, at a cost of $25,043.45. The other two 2014 trucks will be purchased from Warsaw Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, at a cost of $27,593 and $27,893 respectively, both with trade-ins.

March’s Veteran of the Month was awarded to Ronald Gates of Warsaw. A Vietnam veteran, Gates was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1967. He spent one year in Vietnam, where he was a heavy equipment operator. Gates was born and raised in Warsaw.

Commissioner Bob Conley amended a property vacation of public ways for William and Beverly Long that was approved Feb. 25. Instead of paying property taxes on their property for the past 44 years, the Longs will make a “voluntary contribution” for the amount allowed. Due to state law, property owners do not have to pay taxes on property they didn’t own at the time.

In other news, the board:

• appointed Brad Jackson and Michael DeWald to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District Board.
• signed a contract for Internet service with Warsaw Community Schools.
• approved a new server for the computer system at the highway department at a cost of $12,500.

Commissioners are president Brad Jackson, Bob Conley and Ron Truex. The next meeting is at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 25.