Kokomo Mayor Matt McKillip says he will seek city council approval for his amended Economic Development Income Tax revenue spending plan. McKillip had filed the plan with Howard County officials late last week.
Among other expenditures, McKillip’s plan calls for up to $50,000 of EDIT funds to be put toward helping facilitate the county-wide economic development consolidation effort. City council president Mike Karickhoff was quoted in the “Kokomo Tribune” earlier this week saying the mayor is required to submit EDIT spending plans with the council. Karickhoff said McKillip has only provided council members with the rough outline described in the mayor’s press release. McKillip says he disagrees with Karickoff’s interpretation of the procedural question, but says he’ll nonetheless submit relevant appropriation ordinances to the council.
McKillip’s EDIT use plan also blocks out funding for K-GOV Channel 2 programming, the instillation of city-wide tornado alert sirens, and courthouse square beautification, though the mayor says he’s not optimistic that all of those initiatives will come to fruition this year.
