Election workers may now be required to file as county employees

Apr. 1—GOSHEN — Minor changes to the county's election compensation were approved during the Elkhart County Commissioners meeting on Monday morning.

County Attorney Craig Buche explained that the differentiation between federal law and state law has created the discrepancy.

The current state law provides that election workers, as independent contractors, be paid using a 1099 form. Election workers who make $600 on the 1099 would then provide file taxes using that 1099.

However according to the IRS, for any precinct election officer who makes more $600, the compensation must be reported on a W-2, as an employee. Anyone who goes over the current number of $2,300, must also have taxes withheld for Social Security purposes.

Those who only work on the primary and the general election days do not go over the $600 payment mark, and therefore and continue to use the 1099 form for contractual labor.

Pretty much anyone else including early voter workers, travel board workers, or those who do additional work outside of the election days, need to be registered employees of the county so withholding can be implemented. Election workers would also need to remain in that category for the entire year.

The clerk's office has developed a disclosure statement to be used when training election workers. Anyone who has intentions to work more than just the two election days would sign up as an employee, not a contractor.

OTHER ITEMS

The funds for the annual contract with the Humane Society of Elkhart County were also approved by Elkhart County Commissioners. The totals for each community are: Elkhart County, $242,000; Elkhart, $153,065; Goshen, $93,940; Nappanee, $12,688; Wakarusa, $7,260; Middlebury, $6,534; and Bristol, $4,840. Communities will reimburse the county for its payment.

Commissioners approved several grant applications from the Indiana Department of Corrections.

A grant application designed to help Elkhart County Community Corrections hire two additional intensive case managers and support the pay of a program director was approved by the Elkhart County Commissioners. The amount is just over $275,000, known as the Community Corrections and Justice Reinvestment Grant.

They also approved a grant application that will support adult probation. The grant, at about $208,000, pays for some case managers and quality assurance officers.

Two grant applications for drug court were also approved. In total, the grants are roughly $205,000, and cover some salaries, incentives, and barriers such as emergency housing for those in the drug court program. Also approved was a grant application that would fund a pretrial services coordinator for about $60,000.

Commissioners approved the purchase of a 2024 Chevrolet pickup truck for the Elkhart County Highway Department. It will replace the 2012 Ford pickup truck where manager of Transportation Kyle Wagner said the trade-in value is higher than the cost of repairs.

Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.