Councilor braces for state changes

Indiana’s busy 2025 legislative session with new Gov. Mike Braun could significantly affect county governments.

State legislators will look at reducing or eliminating property taxes that significantly fund local government. And, it’s a budgeting year.

Misty Hollis wants to make sure Wayne County is ready for any upcoming loss of funding. She was the only Republican applying to replace Tony Gillam as the county council’s District 4 representative. Hollis was selected during a Jan. 14 caucus and attended her first council meeting at the Jan. 15 workshop.

“I want to make sure that I can take my gifts and talent and help engage the community on how to prepare for that and also help our local government prepare for that,” Hollis said. “I have a lot of state contacts, so I want to be able to be a liaison in those communications.”

Hollis, who is executive director and CEO of Richmond Family YMCA, served eight years on Richmond Common Council, leaving after 2019. She has also occupied Republican Party leadership positions at the local, district and state level. 

Gary Saunders, the county Republican chair and a county council member, said he was “glad to have her aboard” council.

“I think it’s a good addition to it,” Saunders said. “She sat on city council for eight years. She seems to understand financing, that’s the main thing.”

Hollis had been thinking about trying to again serve in an elected capacity. Those thoughts had been derailed by illness. She’s completing treatments and feeling up to county service after a cancer diagnosis last July.

“I’m feeling a whole lot better,” Hollis said. “I’m very grateful. The way I was in July to where I am today is almost a 360(-degree) turnaround.”

Gillam moved out of District 4, which required his resignation. Hollis said she waited, but no one else stepped forward to replace Gillam.

“It’s been five years since I’ve served in an elected capacity, and I thought I’d put my name back in and serve,” she said.

District 4 contains the west side of Richmond and Center Township. Hollis said serving the county rather than the city was no issue.

“It’s just a different capacity in how to serve,” she said. “It’s more of a financial capacity. That seems to be more up my alley right now.”

Fairgrounds update

Haley Baker, the sales and marketing coordinator for the Wayne County Fairgrounds, presented an update on the fairgrounds.

During 2024, there were activities at the fairgrounds on 297 of the 365 days. There were 77 rentals during 2024 that brought in $146,875.15 in revenue. That was more rentals than the 59 in 2023, but less revenue than 2023’s $153,942.65. Baker attributed the revenue drop to a large camping event in July 2023 that provided $30,000 in revenue, but visits different sites each year.

The largest 2024 rental was $12,750 from the annual Autumn Oaks event Labor Day weekend.

There are 53 rentals already booked for 2025, including 10 new events and 43 returning events.

Baker also showed the website, waynecountyfairgrounds.org, that had 20,000 page visits in 2024, with people from 47 states visiting the website.

Coroner needs

Coroner Brent Meadows said the four-body cooler in the coroner’s office has been filled, creating a need for an emergency plan. Meadows said he would have such a plan, but he’s presenting an option of purchasing a smaller, portable cooler for up to $12,000.

Meadows said the office has been holding individuals for up to 60 days because family members do not want to claim the bodies or family is not found.

Meadows planned to forward more information to councilors and commissioners.

Other actions

Council and commissioners unanimously approved the 2025 interlocal agreement with Richmond for the Emergency Communications Center. Richmond pays half of the personnel expenses for 911 dispatch.

Council approved three transfers of funds. Opioid settlement funds totaling $32,678.05 were transferred to a contractual/professional line for distribution. Commissioners have committed $7,000 to a Richmond warming shelter. Council took $108,000 from its contingency fund for line items that were not funded in the 2025 budget, putting $104,000 toward interns in the prosecutor’s office and $4,000 toward overtime in the auditor’s office.