Bartholomew County to see extra income tax revenue

Bartholomew County will see nearly $4 million more in income tax revenue than expected after an announcement from the state.

County Auditor Pia O’Connor updated the county commissioners yesterday on the income tax revenue, saying that the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance notified the county that it would receive a supplemental local income tax distribution of just over $3.8 million. She said that every year the department does a “true up” adjusting the amount of money the county receives based on actual revenues.

O’Connor says that this year’s supplemental amount is 16 percent of what the county has already budgeted. Of that $3.8 million, the county commissioners will receive $453 thousand dollars in economic development funds and $1 million will go to the jail.

O’Connor said that she pushes back each year on the DLGF’s initial numbers, saying that the county has to set budgets too low, compared to what they will eventually receive. Instead of being able to plan for the actual funding during the budget process, the county is left to struggle with funding projects such as emergency dispatch center upgrades.