Photo courtesy of Jarod Samuelson This 2018 drone photo shows the skies above Farmington Township along route 957. In the lower left corner, Liberty’s Way Church, the former Lander Elementary School is visible. Beyond the horizon lies Sugar Grove. Warren County Commissioner Ben Kafferlin delivered a State of the County address. One of the Warren County Commissioner’s stated priorities would significantly alter how emergency services are provided throughout the county.

It’s tough to know where you’re headed if you don’t spend some time looking at where you are and where you’ve been.

The Warren County Commissioners did that when Commissioner Ben Kafferlin delivered a State of the County address.

He said the purpose was to “raise awareness of the crises facing Warren County and to activate local government, as well as constituents to focused action.”

At the macro level, 2020 Census data — if population projections continue — will “force a discussion about Warren County lowering to a seventh-class county.”

“This will have little bearing on the operations of the county government, except that wages, salaries and other benchmarks used with other counties will change.”

Kafferlin suggested that shifting to a seventh-class county “should also trigger an assessment of whether or not we have the right-sized departments and agencies to meet the needs of our communities.”

He highlighted property tax abatement, replacement of locks and repairs to the elevator at the jail, property demolitions and the initiation of the process of closing the Grunderville landfill as some of the projects undertaken in the commissioner’s office in 2019 and also highlighted a host of data from the county’s departments.

“Each department within our local governmental system works, in some way, to improve the overall quality of life for the constituents who call Warren County home,” he said.

The State of the County also included a look back at the 2019 budget.

“I can’t repeat too often that the cost of county government is a function of the crime rate. If crime goes up, costs go up or we ask our employees to do more with less,” he said. “But in 2019, generally our numbers decreased… contributing to a positive budget outcome.”

He said revenue was actually $500,000 higher than anticipated, with the two most significant sources of that revenue coming from higher real estate taxes and the jail.

On the expenditure side, Kafferlin said “most departments came in as expected.”

“Better cash flow management, new financial staff and processes and new department heads all contributed to improve communication and understanding of the budget and overall financial picture of their particular areas.”

He specifically identified exploring broadband solutions, an additional human services summit, internal infrastructure – such as the employee handbook – and pre-trial and re-entry programs as priorities for 2020 in addition to a host of project, including completing the emergency radio project that has been ongoing.

“We must take seriously the charge of ensuring the common good, making the best use of our resources,” Kafferlin said.