Don Wiesehan for County Commissioner, Southern District
Given the county’s current financial outlook, moving forward with a parking garage does not appear to be a fiscally responsible decision. Counties are already anticipating a loss of tax revenue due to Senate Bill 1, and it seems that rising assessed property values are being used to offset that loss. While I understand the importance of tax money coming into the county, I do not agree with shifting the burden on taxpayers in a way that feels like a shell game.
These concerns were echoed at the recent Coffee and Candidates meet-and-greet event at the Warsaw Library, where Councilman Dave Wolkins stated that although Kosciusko County is in a strong financial position, we have become too generous with our spending. He noted that it is not always fair to place blame solely on state or federal representatives when many of our financial pressures are within our own control. He also pointed out that while residents may be pleased to see property tax rates decrease on paper, those reductions are often offset by increases in assessed values.
His comments highlight exactly why I am concerned about taking on a major project like the parking garage. City residents would ultimately be paying for the garage twice, once through city taxes and again through county taxes. That burden being double for city residents raises questions such as does this parking garage best represent the wants and needs of city residents along with the County as a whole. Those questions should not be ignored.
With the county facing future revenue uncertainty and with assessed values already rising to compensate for losses, it is difficult to justify committing to a project of this scale even if we are promised 5 million in OIRI money. The county has other priorities that should take precedent, and we do not yet know what the next few years will look like for the county budget. For these reasons and reasons, I have already stated, I do not believe it is responsible to move forward with the parking garage currently.
All residents voices matter in our decisions, and we cannot forget that.