News of a $270,000 windfall surprised Wayne County Council at its July 1 meeting. Wayne County Commissioner Jeff Plasterer reported receipt of a refund from a 2007 joint Cardinal Greenway Association project.
Construction of the biking and walking trail from Industries Road in Richmond to Main Street in Losantville was achieved through federal grant money from the American Recovery & Reimbursement Act of 2009.
Since Cardinal Greenway raised the matching funds for the grant, any refund would be given to the nonprofit. Council member Misty Hollis asked if any funds could be allocated to support projects in Wayne County. Plasterer said he would inquire with the association.
Emergency Management Agency Director Matthew Cain’s request to obtain an Indiana Department of Homeland Security grant was approved. The funding, around $18,000, will purchase additional phones that can answer 911 calls from anywhere using cellular data. The grant is reimbursable.
County administrator Steve Higinbotham reported the parking and drainage projects at the fairgrounds were a success for the Wayne County Fair. Both the jail window and generator switch gear projects are on schedule. Concrete was laid for the courthouse’s front entrance repair in preparation for new light installation. Courthouse elevator repair discussions have resumed with LWC. And documents are being finalized for the security entrance renovation project.
Personnel Committee
County coroner Brent Meadows posted a deputy coroner position after a recent resignation. After receiving several applicants, the former employee expressed interest in returning. Since the individual has the proper education and training, Meadows requested to post the vacancy for the former employee to apply. The request was approved, and the coroner’s office worked with Human Resources to make sure policy was followed. Misty Hollis thanked Meadows for a previous meeting reviewing budget reports.
Cain requested to post two part-time positions with a minimum of six hours a month, and a maximum of 29 hours per week. The request was approved as each salary of $9,961.00 comes from EMA’s general fund.
Human Resources’ Kim Clauser was approved to proceed with the hiring process for a payroll clerk position. HR will keep the county auditor informed on the progress. Clauser will discuss a salary and compensation agreement with Irwin for the 2026 report.
Finance Committee
Two consulting firms pitched their services to assist the county with managing fiscal reports in light of changes mandated by SEA 1 and SEA 270, which change the local income tax structure and require township consolidation. C.L. Coonrod & Company and Policy Analytics shared their expertise in reviewing budgets and other financial data for State Board of Accounts reports. They would also help council in township management, as SEA 270 will force the merger of townships within the next year.
Highway department’s Mike Sharp received approval for a line item to transfer highway jail bond funds for a geotechnical study, a fund to house $399,000 in lane mile distribution funding, and a line item for bridge and structure materials in a local option highway user tax fund. All three were approved. The council thanked Sharp for his work to ensure Wayne County’s roads are in good form.
Plasterer requested an additional $2,481 to the allotted $165,000 for the sheriff vehicle purchase. The request was approved.
The next regular Wayne County Council meeting is 8 a.m. on Aug. 5 in the Council-Commissioners’ Chamber in the Wayne County Administration Building, 401 E. Main St., Richmond. The public may attend.
A version of this article appeared in the July 8 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
