A bill under consideration in the Indiana General Assembly could have a chilling effect on the wind power produced by the West Central School Corporation. Senate Bill 309 would change the way alternate energy production like wind and solar is redistributed. Continue reading
Pulaski County Legislation May Lack State Support
Efforts that could potentially benefit Pulaski County’s economic development may have a difficult time gaining support in Indianapolis.
Pulaski County Economic Development representatives say there is language in the Indiana Code restricting use of County Adjusted Gross Income Tax, or CAGIT funds. Those restrictions specify that monies generated through the tax are to be used only for the maintenance and operations of the Pulaski County Justice Center. Economic Development Director Nathan Origer says the jail’s lease payment is about 260-thousand dollars annually, the balance of which comes out of the County Economic Development Income Tax, or CEDIT fund. He would like to see a change in the law to allow that payment to be made from the CAGIT fund instead. Continue reading
Pence Education Agenda Draws Mixed Reviews
Gov. Mike Pence’s education agenda for the upcoming legislative session draws mixed reviews from a local school administrator who is looking to the General Assembly for meaningful reform. North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Lynn Johnson agrees with some of the things the governor is suggesting, such as accountability that takes into account student growth.
The North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation has lost millions of dollars due over the past several years due to a combination of state funding cuts, declining enrollment and unfunded mandates. During a Tuesday night public forum, Johnson said the legislature needs to increase the amount of money it pays corporations per enrolled student. That’s also among the items on Pence’s agenda. Continue reading
N.J.-S.P. Officials Looking to Legislature for Education Reform
A combination of declining enrollment, cuts in state funding and unfunded service mandates has North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation officials facing some difficult choices. They’ve already had to cut $800,000 from their budget this school year. Superintendent Lynn Johnson says eight staff members have been notified they will not have jobs after the school year ends. She says the corporation is looking to the Indiana General Assembly for meaningful education reform when the legislature convenes in January. Continue reading
Pulaski County CDC Director Gives CAGIT Tax Update to Commissioners
Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer gave the commissioners an update on his discussions surrounding the changes in the CAGIT tax with the local legislators.
Origer had approached the commissioners at their earlier November meeting for support in overturning legislation to free up money for the CEDIT fund for economic development. He believes that the special CAGIT tax should be used to help pay the jail lease instead of the CEDIT fund. Origer argued that the CEDIT fund should be used for economic development projects and not just the jail lease. To do this, Origer needs to approach local legislators to change legislation allowing language to change the law to reflect his request.
Medaryville Receives Grant for Wastewater Improvement Project
The town of Medaryville is the recipient of a $450,000 grant from the state Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) for a wastewater system improvement project. The money will be used to build a biodome structure into their current lagoons to meet Indiana Department of Environmental Management standards. Continue reading
