The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/568052
The Press-Dispatch Local Wednesday, September 9, 2015 A- 9 Is it TIME for your next eye exam? 8–7 . Mon. 8–noon . Tues. 10–7 . Wed. 8–5 . Thur. 8–5 . Fri. Now Locally Owned and Operated Dr. Clint Shoultz 715 S. 9th Street, Petersburg (812) 354-9400 PUBLIC MEETING ursday, September 10 • 7 p.m. Union Community Building persons interested in the Union Fire Department future invited to attend. Light refreshments served. MOTOR SHOW AT PRIDES CREEK PARK Two-and three-wheeled motorcycles were a part of the first annual car, truck, tractor and bike show this past weekend at Prides Creek Park. Winners were determined by money donated for Riley Hospital placed in their respective buckets. Jerry Fisher won the car show plaque for his 1932 Chevy. Eric Zaz- zetti won a plaque for his 2015 Silverado. Alan Houtsch earned the bike show award with his 1982 Har- ley-Davidson and Scott Schnarr won the tractor show with a vintage Allis-Chalmers. James Capozella photo Three-year-old Ryland Prevo and four-year-old Grayson Schultheis were ready to use their mon- ey to vote on vehicles at the First Annual Prides Creek Park show on Sat- urday. Jerry Fisher won the car show with his 1932 Chevy. The truck show plaque was tak- en by Eric Zazzetti with his 2015 Silverado, Al- an Houtsch won the bike show with his 1982 Har- ley-Davidson and Scott Schnarr brought the top tractor entry with his vintage Allis-Chalmers. James Capozella photo Most hoods were open on antique and collector cars and trucks this past week at the Prides Creek Park first annual car, truck, tractor and bike show. Several dozen units were on display in the after- noon prior to the Mike Oldham country music concert that evening. Jerry Fisher won the car award with his 1932 Chevy. Eric Zazzetti took the plaque in the truck competition with his 2015 Silverado, Alan Houtsch won the bike category with his 1982 Harley-Davidson and Scott Schnarr won the trac- tor division with a vintage Allis-Chalmers. James Capozella photo a need for more economic development. I think that is where we need to be put- ting our expenditures," said Mangin. "So what you are saying is more spending in eco- nomic development in the long term will get a high- er assessed value in the long term," said Council- man Willis. "Yes, that is exactly what I was saying," said Mangin. Councilmen discussed Pike County's assessed val- ue getting ready to drop by eight percent. Wilson said with devel- opments, such as Five Star Mine closing and Hoosier Energy idling their Ratts Station power plant in Pe- tersburg, the county was losing assessed value. Gary Malone, of Um- baugh Associates, who was at the meeting to dis- cuss the Public Safety Lo- cal Option Income Tax, told the council the state legis- lature in recent years creat- ed the Public Safety LOIT because of property tax caps had reduced tax rev- enues and they were an effort to move away from property taxes to different forms of revenue. "If you raise the CEDIT now, then later you de- cide you don't need the full Public Safety LOIT, you wouldn't have to adopt that full 0.25 percent Pub- lic Safety LOIT rate," said Willis. He added "It seems to me a foregone conclusion some actions are gong to have to be taken," said Willis. Elliott then made his mo- tion and the $250,000 local income tax increase was approved. According to Umbaugh and Associates' study of local income taxes in Pike County, the 0.1 percent in- crease will cost taxpayers with $40,000 taxable in- come $40 a year; $ 60 a year for those making $ 60,000. It would be $100 a year increase for those with $100,000 taxable income. Malone went over a sum- mary of the affects of a Pub- lic Safety Local Option In- come Tax. The maximum rate is 0.25 percent. Malone said a study of Pike County's cash bal- ance and budgets over the last few years shows their cash balance is shrinking at about $ 600,000 a year. "That probably isn't sus- tainable." Malone suggested the county have a target of at least $ 600,000 in increased taxes. According to his esti- mates, the Public Safe- ty tax at 0.25 percent rate would raise $572,056 for Pike County, $ 65,852 for Petersburg, $11,812 for Winslow and $1,370 for Spurgeon. The estimated cost for taxpayers would be $100 for those with a taxable in- come of $40,000 ; $150 for a $ 60,000 taxable income and $200 for an income of $ 80,000. He said there is a spe- cific list of items for which the money can pay. It in- cludes: police law enforce- ment systems, firefight- ers and fire prevention systems, emergency am- bulances and emergency medical services, environ- mental clean up, probation programs, community cor- rection programs, juvenile detention centers and facil- ity, county jail, communica- tion systems, medical and health care expenses for in- mates, as well as pensions for police officers, firefight- ers, the sheriff and other personnel providing pub- lic safety services. Councilmen took no ac- tion on the Public Safety LOIT. Malone told them they would have to have three public readings of their pro- posed ordinance to adopt the measure. He said they could prob- ably do two of the three readings in one meeting and then vote on it in a sec- ond meeting after the third reading. However, he said they should consult Coun- ty Attorney Val Fleig about the matter. Patoka Fire District improvements approved Councilmen gave Patoka Fire District their approv- al to spend $120,000 on im- provements of a fire barn located at Highway 61 and Sugar Ridge Road. Matt Wells said they were improving the looks of the building, as well as extending one bay so a full-sized truck would fit into the bay. He said they have been keeping a small- er truck at the station be- cause a full-size one won't fit. Wells said it is getting to the point that if they don't make improvements, they may quit using it. He added that strategi- cally it is important to them because it is on the other side of the railroad. He also stressed the $120,000 was money they already had in their fire dis- trict budget and they were not asking for county tax funding. He said they have a cash balance of about $ 350,000. It was approved by a 7- 0 vote. In other business, the council tabled a request to transfer $ 30,100 from the cumulative bridge in- to bridge inspection. A f- ter about 20 minutes of discussion about the mat- ter, the council learned it was due to some combina- tion of transferring money from the yearly bridge in- spection into the inspec- tion of the construction of County Bridges 246 and 81 over the Patoka and South Patoka Rivers just west of Highway 57 on a county road that has been closed for years. The bridges are undergoing historic recon- ditioning overseen by Ber- nardin Lochmueller Asso- ciates now known as Lo- chmueller Group. "It is clear as mud," said Willis. Councilmen tabled the matter. A request by the Pike County E911 of $4,516 in- to salary, FICA, PERF and Health Insurance failed to garner a second. E911 Di- rector Mitch Shapker said it would be to pay his suc- cessor in the position for a four-week training period. Sheriff Jeremy Britton said they had just complet- ed the hiring of a replace- ment for Schapker. "I originally did not give a date and I have not set a definite date," said Schapk- er about when he is resign- ing. "So are we going to have two directors for a while? " asked Bishop. "Just during the train- ing," said Schapker. "We aren't going to let this go on forever," said Britton. "Do we need to estab- lish an end date so we don't have two at one time," said Harris. Schapker said he just wanted to give the council a heads up about him leav- ing and doing the training. "Yeah I get it, but we don't have a date," sid Har- ris. "We all understand four weeks, but after that we don't want to have two di- rectors," said Sutton. Eventually, it was sug- gested there was enough money in the account now to cover the extra four weeks, but later on they could do an additional re- quest for the amount need- ed. Bishop had already made a motion to approve the re- quest. He asked to rescind his motion, but instead, it died for a lack of a second. INCREASE Continued from page 1 Councilmen also ap- proved expenditures of $ 38,800 in campsite im- provements, $11,000 in util- ities and $1,500 for special events at Prides Creek. The money is already in their budget, but had to be ap- proved by the council. Dave Elgin said the campsite improvements were mostly to improve electrical services. He also told the council they had already depos- ited $274,000 of income from the park this year and their budget for the year is $234,000. Councilmen adjourned their regular monthly meeting and, after about a 10 minute break, started their annual budget hear- ing, which was expected to last all day.