From left are Joe Garber, Robert Sanders and Michelle Puckett.

WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Council completed the county budget review on Thursday, Aug. 25.

The objective of the meeting was to clarify items that had come into question about several of budgets for 2017 that had come up during and after the previous budgeting meeting on Monday, Aug. 22.

Shelly Heckert, speaking on behalf of Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District, had several items she brought before the council in reference to their 2017 budget. Heckert requested the budget to allow for KCSWMD to raise employees’ salaries above the two percent cap the Council had placed on all county employee salaries.

Heckert included that less than 25 percent of their funding comes from the county. She indicated she wanted to raise some employees salaries up to 3.5 percent. The council made a motion to not allow the KCSWMD to raise employees’ salaries above the two percent cap. The motion was approved.

Heckerts added the 2017 budget also reflects an additional $20,000 added for employees’ health care. Heckerts mentioned the business is still in the process of decided what plan they will offer their employees, but it is something they want to be able to offer them in the coming year.

Ron Truex spoke before the Kosciusko County Commissioners. Truex explained he wanted to change the commissioners budget to add $30,000 for employees’ retirement funds. This would allot for a total of $50,000 in retirement funds. He mentioned that even if the council would not recommend this addition to the budget that, “If we don’t get it tonight, I recommend to go over it again,” said Truex.

Tom Anglin made a motion to allow for an increase in the commissioner’s budget of $30,000 for employees’ retirement funds. The motion was approved.

Michelle Puckett, Kosciusko County Auditor, commented, “I’m very comfortable saying it’s a solid budget,” after the revisions were made.