Published: July 04, 2009 09:33 pm      

Public Eye - Sunday, July 5, 2009

Blessing in disguise

When local elected officials learned Chrysler LLC would not pay $12.2 million in personal property taxes this year, some hoped for a state loan.

County government would take a $1 million hit in the revenue stream, funds that would otherwise have to be trimmed from current budgets.

State lawmakers quickly approved an amendment to allow Howard County taxing entities to borrow the equivalent of the unpaid taxes from the state’s Rainy Day fund.

But local taxpayers had better hope local government somehow avoids having to pay back any state loans. The most likely means of repayment would be through higher property taxes. Local taxing units would be allowed to exceed state property tax caps to pay the money back.

Name that holiday

While many American workers were given Friday off to celebrate the July Fourth holiday, some local residents may have noticed Howard County offices were closed on Thursday as well.

County employees were off on Thursday to celebrate Haynes Day. They were also given the day after New Year’s off as a paid holiday as Apperson Day. Each day off cost county taxpayers approximately $35,000 in salaries.

The Haynes Day off used to take place when the Haynes-Apperson Festival was celebrated on the July Fourth weekend to allow vendors to set up around the courthouse.

This year, the annual festival took place the last weekend in June. County offices were open the first two days of the festival but with limited parking around the Courthouse Square.

No welcome mat

There are four challengers attempting to wrestle the Republican Party nomination for the 5th Congressional District seat away from incumbent Dan Burton.

Brose McVey, Luke Messer, John McGoff and Mike Murphy have all announced their candidacies for the 2010 primary.

Craig Dunn, chairman of the Howard County Republican Party, has made it clear the county organization backs Burton.

Asked if the four challengers would receive any local assistance during the campaign, like the use of party headquarters, Dunn was quick to reply “No.”

“I told the precinct committeemen that the most important thing in 2010 is to gain control of the Indiana House,” Dunn said. “We need our money to beat Ron Herrell.”

He noted that the new district lines will be drawn following the 2010 election and the party in power will make the final decision.

“They are on their own,” Dunn said of the challengers. “I think they are two years too soon. There were three other potential strong candidates that put party ahead of personal interests.”

Dunn said a primary fight for the 5th District nomination would waste $1.5 to $2 million.

Stopping the gravy train

When the state of Indiana took over school general fund levies, the camel’s nose went well and truly under the tent.

Now that the state is paying all teacher salaries and benefits, how long would it be, we wondered, until state legislators attempted to circumvent the usual bargaining process between school boards and each district’s teacher bargaining unit?

Republicans this year offered a plan to create a single insurance plan, which would have pooled every teacher in the state. State Rep. Jim Buck, R-Kokomo, said it was believed a state pool could offer a “very good plan” for about $15,000 per teacher.

Under the proposal — which was axed in conference committee — teachers wishing to retain their old plans would have been responsible for any premiums exceeding the $15,000 cap, Buck said.

Some current teacher plans, Buck explained, have little communication with the real world. He said some districts are paying up to $29,000 per teacher, per year, in health benefits, with the teachers often contributing only 1 percent of the premium.