County commits money to attract more money

Wayne County hopes to receive $3.98 million in state money from the Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s Regional Economic Acceleration Development Initiative 2.0 grants.

To further those hopes, the county commissioners and council have committed to $2.98 million in match money. Wayne County Council members agreed during the Nov. 20 council/commissioners workshop to that commitment and to supplying a letter of commitment.

The IEDC allows funds already spent on similar projects to count as match money, so $1.78 million of the county’s commitment comes from the American Rescue Plan Act dollars it provided for the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program. 

Projects involving the county that have been advanced to IEDC for READI 2.0 consideration are downtown revitalization and a Starr neighborhood program. The match money for the downtown revitalization program includes $2 million in county and city of Richmond commitments to HELP and $1 million in 2026 and 2027 Economic Development Income Tax money.

The $780,000 committed toward a HELP blight elimination program fulfills match requirements for the Starr neighborhood program that would renovate and sell single-family homes. That also includes $200,000 over five years from the Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County’s consolidated EDIT fund to pay a land bank company.

WUR withdrawal

Commissioner Jeff Plasterer updated council members about the commissioners’ decision to withdraw from Wayne Union Recycling. One of two required resolutions was approved Nov. 13 by commissioners, beginning the withdrawal process.

Plasterer, who will meet with Union County’s commissioners Dec. 6, said the county is working to collaborate with Richmond and the Richmond Sanitary District on future recycling-related projects. The sanitary district has begun efforts to expand its curbside recycling program to county communities beyond Richmond as it diverts materials from its New Paris Pike landfill.

Council member Cathy Williams, who has been heavily involved in WUR, said recycling efforts will continue, but will be done differently. She said the path the county is pursuing is a better way.

Auditor request

Auditor Mark Hoelscher requested $4,000 to pay overtime for his employees. Hoelscher said compensation time has been accumulated during the year, but he would rather pay the employees overtime.

Council created an overtime line item in the auditor’s budget, then approved the funding from its contingency line item.

After that action, Beth Leisure, council’s president, asked Hoelscher about a budget notification from the state Department of Local Government Finance the county received. The notification includes proposed revenue, levy and budget adjustments and requires a response within 10 days.

Hoelscher responded to the notification without council discussion or permission. Council members said they had not seen the state notification although they are listed with the state as people who should receive the notification email.

That discussion led to a rehashing of council’s policy that it approves all transfers of funds. Council had previously voted on a motion affirming that policy when it discovered Hoelscher was making some transfers within the same departmental budgets and major budget classifications that council had not approved.

Hoelscher said he could not find a resolution or ordinance requiring council approval of the transfers, although the state allows transfers by the auditor or council as dictated by county policy. Hoelscher said he’s the only auditor who’s been subjected to seeking council approval for all transfers; however, Tony Gillam and Gary Saunders, who have both been council members for two decades, said that in their tenures council has always required that it approve all transfers.