Wayne County department heads and elected officials were encouraged to find ways to cut their 2026 budgets when they met with the county commissioners April 23.
In their joint meeting the initial discussion involved the Indiana legislative session and its negative impact on county property tax revenues. Max Smith, president of Wayne County Council, and council member Cathy Williams joined the discussion.
Smith said the state legislators are making themselves “look like the good guys” by offering property tax relief, but that makes county officials look like the bad guys. The impacts will cause the county major problems, Smith said, calling it “uncharted waters.”
The total impact of legislation adopted during the session was not known, but Smith said expectations were that 2026 property tax revenue would drop a little more than 6% from 2025. That would mean approximately $1.4 million less available for Wayne County government to operate.
In addition, the county has generally received an annual increase of about $600,000 from year to year. That means the 2026 property tax revenue could be about $2 million less than would have been expected.
Other revenue streams, such as business personal property taxes, or state financing, such as public health funding, reimbursements for Level 6 felony offenders in the county jail and grants, also could provide the county with less money as the legislature made adjustments. The county will work with consultant Baker Tilly to understand the full impact of legislative decisions and explore options, such as a wheel tax and income taxes, to provide extra revenue.
Smith said council, commissioners and departments must work together to continue providing the services that need to be provided even though budgets will be scrutinized carefully. Williams said the county will be stuck in the predicament in which the legislature puts it, but having elected officials and department heads find budget cuts is more effective than council making the cuts.
“Please, help us do that,” she said.
New policies
Also during the department meeting, new fleet and proximity card policies were discussed. Elected officials and department heads had been presented drafts of the policies.
A list of authorized drivers will be compiled for those who drive county vehicles. The policy also includes monitoring of those authorized, helping to meet insurance demands.
A new proximity card locking system is being installed, and commissioners are developing a policy for which employees need cards that unlock county buildings outside business hours. Other employees will receive identification cards rather than key cards.
Neither policy has been adopted.
Health insurance
Cathy Dunn of Dunn & Associates, the county’s Columbus-based, third-party benefits administrator, presented commissioners with health insurance bids. The county’s health insurance policy ends June 30.
The bids exceeded $5 million for an aggregate policy. Commissioners did not accept a bid, but Plasterer signed a disclosure statement to lock in the pricing.
Commissioners will have a preliminary discussion with council about the insurance cost and the balance between county and employee contributions to the plan.
Pickup purchases
The highway department received commissioner approval to accept a bid for two pickup trucks.
Larkin Greenwood Ford of Connersville bid $97,002 to provide the trucks. Mike Sharp, the highway department superintendent, told commissioners the bid must be accepted and trucks ordered by April 30, because the manufacturer does not accept orders past that date.
Commissioners discussed the purchase because of the expected revenue impacts after the legislative session and council delaying other vehicle purchases. However, highway department money does not come from property taxes and has no impact on the general fund, and Smith said he did not think the pickup purchases would be a problem.
A version of this article appeared in the April 30 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.