Shipshewana Town Council
by Luke Pamer
August 25th, 2011
The meeting was ruled by public
hearings. The 2012 Shipshewana budget public hearing meeting was held to
start the meeting. The general funds
decreased from $725,600 in 2011 to
$664,870. The funds were lowered in
expectations of taxes and other miscellaneous reasons. Even though general
funds are decreasing, the funds for
local roads and streets are increasing
from last year. Another area taking a
hit is the parks and recreation fund.
Another public hearing took place after
the budget hearing. The water rates for
Shipshewana are increasing. The funds
for improvements within the water
department were around $50,000.
This is the lowest that the town of
Shipshewana had in the fund since
the start of the new millennium. This
left no choice for the town but to raise
the rates. Shipshewana’s independent
financial consultant, Greg Guerrettaz,
said “We don’t want to take money out
of the rate payer’s pocket.” However,
if the town wanted its facilities to
function properly they had to make
an increase. The rate is scheduled to
increase by 9.5%. It is expected to cost
each payer an extra $2.48 on their
bill. The increase is on pace to bring in
$39,000 extra for the town each year.
The increase will take affect October
first of this year.
Shipshewana town manager,
Sheryl Kelly, and Clerk-Treasurer, Ruth
Ann Downey, applied for a loan request
from LaGrange County’s Major Moves
Committee. The loan was to be used
for a new snow plow for the town. The
continued on page 13
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The Hometown Treasure · Oct. ‘11 · pg 9