Motion for wheel tax ends in tied vote

Pulaski County residents won’t be paying any extra taxes this year, as the wheel tax vote ended with a tie during a county council meeting on Monday.

The idea of implementing the wheel tax has been discussed the last couple of months as the county is looking for additional funds to fix the roads.

The good and the ugly regarding the tax was discussed during a joint session with Pulaski County Commissioner Larry Brady. The probability of the county receiving more money from the state to fix the roads is slim, so the wheel tax gives the county the option to raise funds used specifically for road maintenance and repairs.

During the regular county council session, councilwoman Linda Powers said, personally she supports the tax, “but representing the community, I probably would vote against it because of what everyone has shared with me.”

Councilman Tom Roth said he hasn’t heard a lot of comments, but if a resident travels outside the county they can quickly see how good the Pulaski County roads are compared to others. His concern is that the roads “are falling apart.”

Council president Jay Sullivan said the county, in the past, has been able to keep the condition of the roads in good shape without having to implement the wheel tax.

There was also a discussion of a frost law being implemented. The semis or tractors that travel through the county appear to be why the roads are tore up, according to commissioner Bud Krohn Jr. Council members appeared to agree that a frost law could help.

When the decision regarding the tax was put to vote, it was a tie. Sullivan’s vote evened up the support and the opposition of it. Support for the vote came from Roth, Alex Haschel and Mike Tiede. Opposition was from Doug Roth, Powers and Sullivan.

“I think that we can get by with what we got, as far as money,” Sullivan said.

The council was required to make a decision before June 30, per the state.

In other business:

• Pulaski County Highway Superintendent Terry Ruff requested a transfer of $3,691.50 from a full-time position to a part-time position. He said the part-time position would be used to cover vacation times. His request was approved.

• A transfer of $1,500 for a truck bed and hoist is no longer needed at this time, according to Ruff. He said they are going to work with what they have.

• Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine said an error was made in regards to the amount that Sgt. Fred Rogers has been paid. Richwine said the difference could be paid from the jail commissary fund. Richwine said the error has been reviewed by the county attorney Kevin Tankersley and it appears that there is a difference in how much Rogers received and what he should have been paid. The request to fix the error was approved by the council.

• There was a question regarding the pay rate of part-time employees being hired at Pulaski County EMS. The concern is that attracting new hires will be hard because they are being paid less than the full part-time rate. According to the salary ordinance, a part-time employee must work 630 hours at a lower rate. Council members agreed that the required 630 working hours of experience does not apply fairly to each department such as EMTs or police. Council members approved to get rid of the 630 hour probationary rate for all part-time employees. The motion was opposed by councilwoman Alex Haschel.

• A request to approve the salary rate changes regarding the EMS department was approved.

• Several additional appropriations were approved in the total amount of $68,764.98. Appropriations for the examination of prisoners for $25,000; the airport telephone for $2,700; insurance for $25,000; Town of Monterey loan for $15,000 and probation department computer system for $1,064.98.

• Council members approved to advertise additional appropriations to cover the costs of attorney fees for $14,000 and for the time and attendance computer software for $60,000 and LOW Financials program for $150,000.

• Transfer of funds for $300 for the clerk’s office, $4,206.02 in the commissioners’ fund, and $100 in the health department fund was approved.

• Eleven tax abatements were approved by the council. Two of the applications did not reach the requirements of the tax abatement. Sullivan explained why those businesses did not meet the abatement requirements such as hiring new employees or why the company has laid off employees. All the abatements were approved.

• Minutes from the May 11 regular meeting and the April 13 regular meeting and joint session were approved.