Huntertown Town Council is set to vote on the adoption of a $2.4 million 2021 budget at its Oct. 5 meeting.

The budget would represent a more than $90,000 increase from 2020, including increases in five different funds. Huntertown’s total estimated civil max levy is $249,377, with an estimated property tax cap of $230.

“We’re a very lucky community that the property tax caps only hit us for that low of an amount of money,” Huntertown Clerk-Treasurer Ryan Schwab said.

Huntertown is advertising the lowest property tax cap of any community in Allen County, with Leo-Cedarville’s $1,530 cap being the closest of any other town in the county.

An increase of $8,100 will be added to the town’s general fund for 2021. Schwab said that change is due largely to increased expenses for mosquito spraying as a result of annexations this year.

The town’s local road and street fund increased by $2,000 to $100,000 total, and Huntertown is expected to receive an estimated $111,215 for road and street projects in 2021, Schwab said. The motor vehicle highway fund increased by about $27,000 to $428,500. A portion of that increase came from hiring and promoting a new employee, as well as raises approved for all employees this year, Schwab said.

The budget estimate for the economic development income tax fund is $950,000 — an increase of $50,000 from 2020. The town is estimated to receive $1,049,369 in economic development income tax distribution, Schwab said, adding that 20% of that distribution will be paid to the county as reimbursement for the Gump Road project, which was completed in 2017. That will be paid off, at minimum, in six years, Schwab said.

About $305,000 will be budgeted for Community Crossings Matching Grant projects in 2021. That money will be split from the motor vehicle highway and CEDIT funds. Council discussed the possibility of applying for a matching grant to complete road repairs on Bethel Road, which would finish ongoing improvements from Carroll Road to Hathaway Road. Through Community Crossings, municipalities can receive 75% matching funds from the state for qualifying road and bridge projects.

Town engineer Derek Frederickson told council members the Indiana Department of Transportation plans to open its call for projects this year despite setbacks from COVID-19, “which is a pleasant surprise. We didn’t believe that was going to happen until January.”

Schwab noted there is still some right-of-way acquisition and preliminary engineering work to be completed before the town’s Carroll Road reconstruction project can begin in 2022. The town is also considering several sidewalk repairs and the construction of a new utility building.