By Tim Arnett
WABASH,Indiana – We told you last month that the Wabash County Council expressed their desire to help fund Visit Wabash County to the tune of $150,000 starting next year to help the organization with its Expansion of Services Plan, which will help Wabash market itself to larger target areas. At the April 26th Wabash County Council meeting, Chairman Mike Ridenour told Visit Wabash County’s Christine Flohr to submit an appropriation request for $75,000 for the second half of this year.
At the Wabash County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday morning, Chairman Barry Eppley announced a new 50-50 collaboration between the city and county to pay for the $75,000 appropriation. Along with members of the Wabash County Council, Mayor Scott Long was in attendance at the meeting and said “this is a good collaboration between us to support the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and what they are doing. So we wholeheartedly want to partner with the commissioners in supporting Christine and her organization.”
Eppley told MiBash News that the city and county talked about joined forces to help fund VWC early last week. But after the incredible announcement of Wabash’s win of the Small Business Revolution on Main Street Thursday, the announcement of this collaboration was moved up.
Vice-Chair of the County Council, Bill Ruppel, told MiBash News that only the city of Wabash and the Wabash County plan on going in to supporting VWC for this year’s $75,000 appropriation. He added that he hopes the Town of North Manchester will also get involved in helping support VWC in next year’s budget.
Flohr told MiBash News that it’s appropriate that the money is coming out of the county’s CEDIT fund which is earmarked for economic development.
Mayor Long told MiBash News that the city also plans on using its CEDIT money for its portion of the $75,000, but the Mayor will discuss sources for future funding for VWC with Clerk-Treasurer Wendy Frazier.
Also at Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, Wabash County Sheriff Bob Land said that Sheriff’s Deputy Doug Weaver has taken a new position with the Indiana State Police. His last day with the department in May 20th. Land also said the Jail Officer Jake Dials will also soon be transferring to work at the Miami County Jail. He then told the commissioners that he will ask for an additional $200,000 appropriation from the County Council for inmate transfers at their meeting on June 27th.
Land reported that there are 84 inmates housed in the Wabash County Jail, with 47 overflow inmates housed in Miami County. The jail had an average population of 85 inmates and there 20 new book-ins lat week. Land reported that there were 29 inmates serving sentences.