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Income Tax Correction Could Supply Cash For Radio Upgrade: Councilman Vogt

By Jeff Neumeyer
April 19, 2012 Updated Apr 19, 2012 at 6:10 PM EDT

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) --- Could an Indiana state income tax error wind up paying for an expensive radio upgrade in Allen County?

That's what one elected official would like to see happen with money falling into the hands of county government.

Governor Daniels' administration recently took some heat for shorting local governments about $200-million, but Allen County Council Member Darren Vogt thinks it could help solve a public safety problem for the community.

Vogt says, rather than complain about the income tax mistake, the county should use a big check it's getting to pay for new communication equipment that the federal government says locales must buy anyway.

Jurisdictions across the country are required to purchase new radio equipment.

The price tag in Allen County is expected to top $15-million.

Council Member Vogt says $4.5 million dollars coming to the county because of the state income tax error, should be applied to the radio upgrade.

There was no decision by council at a Thursday meeting, but Vogt feels the idea got a warm reception.

"I don't think there was anybody who was really afraid of the idea, but again, we have to have consensus and we have to have ‘buy-in’ by the city as well," says Vogt.

"That's certainly something that should be considered, I think you'll find that there's going to be other ideas that come forward. For me personally, I don't think we need to rush into spending that money," says Paul Moss, a county councilman at-large.

Vogt says the thought of giving the money back to local taxpayers through a tax cut probably doesn’t make sense in this instance, because he says the county has to fund the radio upgrade, like it or not.

Vogt says he is prepared to make a formal proposal about using the income tax correction cash for the radios at a future council meeting.



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