Skip to main content

Government & School Board

Roanoke property owner facing more issues, town council hears

Following a public hearing concerning ordinance violations filed against the property on 775 Seminary St., the owner of said property may yet have more issues to contend with.

Dick Smart spoke during the regular Roanoke Town Council Meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 16, bringing forth another complaint against the property owner, Cassandra Emley. Smart, who is Emley’s neighbor, said that a bonfire in Emley’s yard was blowing embers onto his roof and deck.

Markle's 2017 budget sails through hearing without public comment

Larry Jenks (left), commander of the Markle Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6671, presents Markle Town Council President Jeff Humbarger with a reserved parking sign for Purple Heart recipients at the town council meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
Photo by Rebecca Sandlin.

Markle’s 2017 budget sailed through a public hearing, called at the start of the Markle Town Council meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 17, without any comment from the public.

The $1.39 million budget has few changes, with the maximum esti-mated funds to be raised from tax levies increased $6,805 from the 2016 budget. The property tax cap credit estimate is $25,586.

Funds that are in-creased are the general, park and cumulative capital development funds.

Council members will vote to adopt the budget ordinance at the next council meeting, on Sept. 21.

Redevelopment commission starts

The Huntington County Commissioners have established a Huntington County Redevelopment Commission to work on economic development projects.

Establishment of the redevelopment commission was approved by commissioners Tom Wall, Larry Buzzard and Rob Miller during their Aug. 8 meeting.

Five members will be appointed to the redevelopment commission by the county commissioners and Huntington County Council. A member of the Huntington County Community School Corporation Board of Trustees will also attend meetings as a non-voting member.

Local board of aviation commissioners to review job performances Aug. 29

The  Huntington Board of Aviation Commissioners will meet in an executive session on Monday, Aug. 29, at 5:30 p.m. in the mayor’s conference room, third floor, City Building, 300 Cherry St., Huntington.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss a job performance evaluation of individual employees.

Executive sessions are closed to the public.

Andrews seeks to renegotiate fire contract with Huntington Township

The Andrews Town Council continued mulling an upcoming decision about its fire protection contract with Huntington Township during its regular meeting Monday, Aug. 8, after Huntington Township Trustee Tim Guy attended the meeting to discuss a proposed fee increase.

Andrews Clerk-Treasurer Laura Dillon said the council asked Guy to attend the meeting.

“They (Huntington Township) pay us $25,000 a year,” she explained. “It was a three-year contract, but you have the option to renegotiate on or before November of every year and Andrews wants to up the contract to $35,000.”

School board approves teacher contract after ‘amicable’ negotiations

The Huntington County Community School Corporation approved the 2016-17 contract with its teachers at the school board’s regular meeting Monday, Aug. 8.

Details of the contract include an increase in pay of between 4 and 6 percent, based on teachers’ accrued points for evaluations, professional development and other factors. The total cost of the increase to the school district is $765,000 for the additional pay, says School Superintendent Randy Harris.

A stipulation was also added to the contract that allows teachers to do job sharing.

Tax rate in Warren headed for slight increase

The local property tax rate in Warren could increase as much as 4 cents for 2017, but it probably won’t.

“It should be less than $1.11,” Clerk-Treasurer Marilyn Morrison told members of the Warren Town Council during their meeting on Monday, Aug. 8.

Preliminary figures presented to the council show the town’s total budget increasing to $2.2 million for 2017, up from $1.86 million in 2016.

“Our overall budget went up substantially,” Morrison said.

Commissioners to have exec session this morn

The Huntington County Commissioners will meet in an executive session today, Monday, Aug. 8, at 10 a.m. in the Commissioners Room 103A at the Huntington County Courthouse, 201 N. Jefferson St., Huntington.

The purpose of the meeting is in respect to interviews and negotiations with industrial or commercial prospects or agents of industrial or commercial prospects.

Executive sessions are closed to the public.

Newly promoted


Photo by Rebecca Sandlin.

Huntington Clerk-Treasurer Christi McElhaney (left) swears in newly-promoted Huntington Police Department Sgt. Karl Shockome, as his wife, Amy Shockome (right) holds the Bible during a ceremony held in the city’s council chambers Wednesday, Aug. 3. Shockome is a 17-year police veteran, having served seven years on the Andrews Police Department and the last 10 years at HPD.

Funds available to help fix Drovertown homes

Residents in and near Huntington’s Drovertown neighborhood can apply to have up to $25,000 in repairs and rehabilitation done to their homes.

Residents must meet some requirements in order to apply for the work, which will be funded through a $640,000 grant awarded by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority to Pathfinder Services’ Nei-ghborWorks HomeOwnership Center through the City of Huntington.

Roanoke woman given extra time to clean up her property

The Roanoke Town Council held a public hearing regarding actions to be taken against a property at 775 Seminary St. during its regular meeting held on Monday, Aug. 1

The Town of Roanoke had issued a nuisance citation against the property owner, Cassandra Emley, for accumulation of materials on her property and failure to comply with regular upkeep. That citation was issued in December of 2015. The town’s nuisance ordinance was later struck down in court on the grounds that it was too vague in its definition of a nuisance.

Roanoke woman given extra time to clean up her property

The Roanoke Town Council held a public hearing regarding actions to be taken against a property at 775 Seminary St. during its regular meeting held on Monday, Aug. 1

The Town of Roanoke had issued a nuisance citation against the property owner, Cassandra Emley, for accumulation of materials on her property and failure to comply with regular upkeep. That citation was issued in December of 2015. The town’s nuisance ordinance was later struck down in court on the grounds that it was too vague in its definition of a nuisance.