VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL

SPECIAL MEETING

AUGUST 18, 2009

The Vanderburgh County Council met in special session this 18th day of August 2009 in room 301 of the Civic Center Complex. The meeting was called to order at 8:47 a.m. by County Council President Tom Shetler, Jr.

President Shetler: Good morning. We have a special meeting that we’ve called to ratify the city’s passage last night of the ‘09 Homestead Credit. So I’d like, first of all, to call the roll for attendance, please.

President Shetler: There being seven present and no absent, we have a quorum. The issue, well, first I’d ask for Councilman Sutton to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

(Pledge of Allegiance was given)

President Shetler: Again, the subject at hand is the ‘09 Homestead Credit. Has everybody received copies of that? The ‘09? Okay, everybody has a copy of that in their packets. Now we will need a motion first to do this all – the motion needs to be said so that we can do this all in one, the first and final readings today, if that would be your desire. Again, in order to accomplish that goal, it must be a unanimous vote. So I need a motion if that would be your call to do this all in one.

Councilmember Kiefer: I’d like to make a motion that we do this in one, with one vote.

President Shetler: I have a motion.

Councilmember Lloyd: Second.

President Shetler: And a second on the floor. Do I have any questions about that motion? All in favor, signify – do we need to do a roll call on that? I guess we do. Roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries. That means we will be hearing the first and final readings of the Homestead Ordinance.

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

President Shetler: Mr. Ahlers, do you have anything you want to add to it?

Jeff Ahlers: Thank you, Mr. Shetler. I wanted to point out one thing is that, there is a more recent draft of the resolution than what’s in the packet. Mrs. Lukeman and I have the latest draft. The only difference is, the one that’s in your packet, is the fourth Whereas clause. I think the ones that you guys have on your desks may say “may unanimously elect” in that second line. And “unanimously” should be stricken. In the version, in my conferences with the city to make sure that we were consistent, one of the words, that’s the only change that we agreed to remove was to take out the word “unanimously” in that second line of the fourth Whereas. Which, like I said, the one that Mrs. Lukeman has that you’re going to sign is correct, the one I have is correct. But some of you, in your packets, I was looking at my packet and I think it still has the word “unanimously”, so there was just that one correction. Otherwise, what you need to do is just like on the 2010 Homestead, you’re going to pass the resolution casting your votes as a portion of the Income Tax Council. You’ve got 28.517 votes. You’ll cast those in favor of passing the ordinance and then pass the ordinance.

President Shetler: Any other questions or comments?

Councilman Sutton: I think there is a, in a sense it does relate to this, it doesn’t necessarily affect our position on it, but I think what most people want to know by virtue of the action that we take here by approving this 2009 Homestead, putting that back in place, how will our taxpayers receive this credit? Are they going to receive a check in the mail, are they going to receive an amended or an adjusted bill in November? Those are the kind of things that I think, if we don’t have those answers here today, it would be helpful if we could provide that so that we will know what that process is going to be for this because this is a very important action.

President Shetler: Alright, thank you. Yes, County Auditor, Bill Fluty.

Bill Fluty: Yes, Councilman Sutton, we’ve been working on that for the past month or so when it was believed that it would be passed, which I think after today it will be, working with our software vendor. It will be a credit to the fall bill. We’ll send out information to the taxpayers basically telling them what their credit is and the amount they need to pay for November. Anybody that’s paid in full will actually receive a check back. If you, for some reason, already paid your November bill, the credit will come in the form of a check. Then we’ll also look at properties that transferred and make sure, those people may have to show proof of who paid, so those are kind of the three scenarios that we’ve talked about right now. So that’s how that will be handled.

Councilman Sutton: I mean, do you have something that is in final form or is it just kind of in draft form?

Bill Fluty: We have something that we believe will make it as cost effective as we can. It will look similar to the bills, I believe, is our proposal, but we’re working within the software system we have and I think we haven’t finished it yet, but we’re getting very close. So I think it will be something that’s easy for the taxpayers to look at and see what they need to pay.

Councilman Sutton: Well, obviously, we’re going to see, I guess, with this adjustment here, there’s going to be a lot of mailings that are going to be going out here soon...

Bill Fluty: 48,000.

Councilman Sutton: Is the request going to come from the Treasurer, the Auditor, where are we going to get that request from on the additional appropriation needed for that mailing?

Bill Fluty: We may be able to handle it with the monies we have available. I think the Treasurer still has money in their account from the first mailing. Remember, of those 48,000, I think 19,000 of them are in escrow, and we’ll communicate to them maybe a little differently than we’ll communicate to the ones that need to pay. We also are going to do this in-house to decrease any costs as much as we can.

Councilman Sutton: Thank you.

President Shetler: Alright, thank you. Any other questions? Motion would be in order.

Councilmember Lloyd: Mr. President, I’d like to make a motion to approve A Resolution of the Vanderburgh County Council Proposing an Ordinance of the Vanderburgh County Income Tax Council Establishing the Percentage Credit Allowed For Homesteads for 2009 and Casting the Votes of the County Council on Said Ordinance, Resolution Number R-08-09-008.

Councilman Sutton: Second.

President Shetler: Motion and a second. Again, any questions on the motion? Does anybody in the audience have any comments or wish to respond? Alright, thank you. Roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries.

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

President Shetler: Now we need a final motion on the ordinance to make final approval on it.

Councilmember Lloyd: I’d like to propose adoption of the Ordinance of the Vanderburgh County Income Tax Council Amending the Percentage Credit Allowed For Homesteads For 2009, which is before the members of the Vanderburgh County Income Tax Council. I’d like to make a motion to approve.

Councilman Sutton: Second.

President Shetler: It’s been moved and seconded. Again, anybody in the audience wish to speak to the Homestead Credit? Hearing none, roll call please.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Sutton?

Councilmember Sutton: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Bassemier?

Councilmember Bassemier: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Lloyd?

Councilmember Lloyd: Glad we’re able to do this for taxpayers for 2009. Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Goebel?

Councilmember Goebel: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Raben?

Councilmember Raben: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: Councilmember Kiefer?

Councilmember Kiefer: Yes.

Teri Lukeman: President Shetler?

President Shetler: Yes. There being seven ayes and no nays, the motion carries.

(Motion unanimously approved 7-0)

President Shetler: I guess at this time a motion would be in order to adjourn our special meeting for the Homestead Credit.

Councilmember Kiefer: Move that we adjourn.

President Shetler: It’s been moved.

Councilmember Lloyd: Second.

President Shetler: And seconded. Thank you. Appreciate it, and I know the taxpayers do.

(There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at 8:57 a.m.)

VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL

                                                                                                                                             
President Tom Shetler, Jr.              Vice President Joe Kiefer

                                                                                                                                        
Councilmember Russell Lloyd, Jr.   Councilmember Ed Bassemier

Councilmember Royce Sutton

Recorded and transcribed by Teri Lukeman.