WARSAW — All four sitting Kosciusko County Superior Court Judges are
filing their declarations as candidates in the upcoming May 5 Primary Election:

• Judge Karin A. McGrath, Superior Court 1
• Judge Torrey J. Bauer, Superior Court 2
• Judge Chad M. Miner, Superior Court 3
• Judge Christopher D. Kehler, Superior Court 4

Collectively, these judges bring more than 110 years of legal experience to the bench. Each judge is a graduate of the Indiana Judicial College and they have served on numerous Indiana Supreme Court Committees and community-focused non-profit boards, reflecting their deep commitment to justice, the rule of law, and service to others.

“It would be our honor to continue serving the citizens of Kosciusko County and we
wholeheartedly support one another’s reelection,” the judges stated. “Throughout our previous terms, we have strived to administer justice fairly and efficiently, guided always by the Constitution and the laws of Indiana. We remain committed to judicial independence, thoughtful deliberation, and respectful collaboration with our fellow judges to deliver fair and impartial outcomes for all who come before the court.”

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WARSAW — A rarely divided Kosciusko County Council on Thursday ended a lengthy back-and-forth on raises for probation officers.

By a 4-3 vote, the council approved a recommendation to provide a one-time $5,000 stipend for next year that will be paid for with user fees.

Council had approved a $10,000 stipend just weeks ago before new questions arose.

Thusday's vote came shortly after the county received a clarification by the State Board of Accounts that the county could indeed provide a stipend.

Efforts to provide probation officers with more compensation had continued for months.

Five judges who oversee probation supported providing a sizeable increase. Two of them -- 

Superior Court II Judge Torrey Bauer and Circuit Court Judge Matthew Buehler spoke Thursday night after the council received an update from the State Board of Accounts.

Council member Rachael Rhoades proposed the $5,000 compromise and Kimberly Cates quickly seconded the motion.

Rhoades said her plan would not add to the workers’ base salary and would not affect the budget.

Council President Tony Ciriello voiced his opposition and supported giving them the same 2 percent pay hike that most other county employees are scheduled to receive in 2026.

Ciriello and Councilwoman Kathy Groninger both said they worried a large stipend would affect worker morale..

Groninger pointed out that a review of job descriptions by Waggoner, Irwin Scheele & Associates (WIS) led to a recommendation that the county should decrease the probation officers’ wages.

She also said the current wages of probation officers are high, as compared to other county employees and elected officials.

That drew a response from Superior Court II Judge Torrey Bauer, who provided some examples

“To say probation officers are overpaid in comparison to county employees is simply not accurate,” Bauer said. “They’re not.”

Bauer talked about the circumstances in the office.

"We want to retain these people. We've got probation officers who are working two jobs to support their families. Probation officers that are looking to go to federal probation because they make a better wage," Bauer said.

"And we've had probation officer slots open for years that we can't fill," he added.

In the deciding vote, those supporting it were Rhoades, Cates, DeLynn Geiger and David Wolkins. Opposed were Ciriello, Groninger and Joe Irwin.

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WARSAW —  Plans to provide Kosciusko County probation workers with a sizeable raise for next year once again fell into doubt Thursday, based on advice from the Indiana State Board of Accounts.

County Council had preliminarily decided last month to provide $10,000 stipends to 11 probation officers to help overcome pay deficiencies, which have been a nagging issue since last year.

But Council President Tony Cirillo announced Thursday night that they had been informed hours earlier that if the county chooses to provide the stipends, they would be obligated to continue that level of compensation in the future.

That didn't seem like a workable situation, so the council then proposed that the probation officers instead receive a two percent pay hike, which is what most county employees will receive next year.

The large raise has been under consideration for a long time and was strongly supported in recent weeks by four local judges. 

The new development did not settle well with one of those, Superior Court II Judge Torrey Bauer.

“We would like to know who specifically is providing that information by name so we can contact general counsel so they can speak directly and find out what legal authority they are relying on in providing that,” Bauer said.

Ciriello encouraged the idea of seeking out a clarification on the matter but  responded:

“State Board of Accounts is the one that governs everything we do with tax dollars,” Criellow said, drawing a quick reply from Bauers who pointed out that the stipends would come from user fees and not property tax revenues.

“I understand it's a little different situation, but they are our governing authority that we have to go by,” Ciriello said.

Council ultimately decided to hold off on a final decision on the use of stipends until Bauer’s concerns are addressed.

The vote in August supported the use of stipends and passed by a vote of 5-2, but included a caveat that made it clear that the council wanted to make sure the plan was workable before final approval.

Council also reviewed a long list of other minor adjustments to the 2026 budget plan and approved all except for the stipend dispute.

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