Drainage board reviews assessment changes and fund listings; schedules auditor meeting

The St. Joseph County Drainage Board reviewed a set of proposed changes to assessment years and discussed account balances that may require adjustment.

Surveyor (S4) explained that some assessments are being updated so that certain work will be billed in 2025 and paid in 2026, and that some assessment lines are deleted and re-added or split to reflect partial lots. Several board members and staff praised Savannah for updating account information and said they planned to meet with the county auditor the next day to align on how fund balances are presented.

Board members noted that some drainage funds have not been used in years while others show negative balances, and discussed whether to raise certain assessment levels or keep them where they are. The board said the new report will show the general drain improvement fund differently than previous listings and that they will revisit the item next month with more up-to-date, color-coded reports.

Why it matters: Assessment levels determine the funds available for ditch cleaning and drainage maintenance; reconciling how funds are displayed and deciding whether to raise assessments affects future operations and property-level charges.

What happens next: Staff and some board members will meet with the auditor to reconcile accounts and bring an updated accounting to the board at the next monthly meeting for possible changes to assessment levels.

Quotes: "Savannah has done a nice job going through each account," said the Surveyor (S4), summarizing staff work to reconcile fund lists.

Ending: The board scheduled follow-up with the auditor and will revisit possible changes to assessments and fund allocations at the next meeting.