BY CHERYL PATRICK LEADER STAFF WRITER
KNOX — After weeks of speculation, Starke County residents learned that nearly $900,000 of Major Moves money was not missing, but instead was spent.
County Council President Mark Smith attempted to explain the process of how the Major Moves money was deposited and how it was designated to be used during a special press conference which was held in the meeting room at the Starke County Annex Building on Friday.

“The money was never missing. It was, in fact, received, deposited and appropriated into the Starke County MVH Fund. This was in direct compliance with the laws and rules set forth by the State of Indiana,” Smith said.
According to Smith, the confusion was due to the fact that the state deposited the Major Moves money into the Motor Vehicle Highway (MVH) fund and it was spent just like any other money deposited in the MVH.
Smith learned from the state that there is more than one set of rules governing the spending of Major Moves funds. And the highway department was operating within state guidelines when they spent Starke County’s portion of the Major Moves money.
“Some confusion has been caused by the fact that there are two sets of rules regarding the distribution and use of this Toll Road or Major Moves money,” Smith said.
“There is one set of rules for the counties through which the Indiana Toll Road traverses. For those counties, the rules are much more specific about creating a special fund within their budget to allocate the money. There are also specific uses for which the money can be allocated. There is another set of less stringent rules for all of the other counties,” he said.
Smith said Starke County falls into the latter group.
“According to Indiana Code 8-14-14, for all of the counties not included in the group of counties previously mentioned, the money received from Major Moves is to be deposited into the MVH, this is the fund that holds the money for the county highway department budget. It further states that the Major Moves money deposited into that fund is to be allocated and used for the same purposes set forth for regular MVH fund money,” Smith said.
Once people learned the money wasn’t missing, but instead had been spent, their next question was what was the money spent on? One woman in attendance wanted to know if the money was spent wisely.
“That’s a question, without reviewing all the claims that were turned in during that period of time, I can’t answer right now,” Smith said.
Smith suggested that anyone who had questions regarding what the money was spent on should ask Michaelene Houston. Houston is the Starke County Auditor and she would have more detailed information regarding what exactly was purchased.
Smith was the only official to address those who attended the press conference and he explained that he was not there as anyone’s representative.
“I would like to make it clear that I am not representing, or attempting to speak on behalf of, the Starke County Highway Department, the county commissioners, the auditor or any other elected or appointed official. At this week’s council meeting, I agreed to get information from the state of Indiana and I am simply relaying that information,” Smith said.
Currently, a regular audit is being conducted and additional information is expected to be released in May.