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Petition for County Ditch in Williams County finally rejected!
The October 23, 2025 Williams County Commissioners meeting covered budget issues, permits and a rejected ditch petition.
Petition for County Ditch in Williams County finally rejected!
On October 23, 2025, the Williams County Commission met for a budget hearing, led by Vice President Scott Lirot and colleagues Bart Westfall and Terry Rummel. During this meeting, which took place partly via Zoom, relevant concerns for the 2026 budget were discussed. The entire meeting revolved around important points such as the full funding of a magistrate and a planned 3% salary increase for employees, such as The Village Reporter reported.
Another area of concern was the transfer of funds for various offices, including the Office of the Developmentally Disabled, the Clerk of Court's Office and the Office of Engineers. Approval of an addendum to the Community-Based Corrections Subsidy Grant Agreement was also discussed, increasing the original amount of $185,732 by $13,676 to a total of $199,408. Approval for the sale of a seized vehicle, a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with a market value of less than $5,000, was also granted without discussion.
Important decisions and approvals
One of the highlights of the session was the agricultural transfer with the West Unity community to support the Wabash Cannonball Trail. Under this agreement, a total of 0.757 acres was transferred to the municipality, while 0.195 acres was received back in exchange. However, users of the trail should be aware that motorized vehicles are prohibited and there are specific rules of conduct that users should follow. According to the guidelines of Wabash Cannonball Trail Pedestrians, cyclists and horses, among others, must treat each other with respect.
A controversial petition filed by Sidney Ebersole was also considered. This petition regarding County Ditch #744 had to be rejected due to 33 oral objections. Despite Ebersole's request for assistance regarding a beaver dam that was affecting water flow, the commission decided to deny the petition and conduct a one-time inspection to remove natural debris in the ditch. Neighbor Justin Thompson expressed concern during the hearing about the impact on his crops and advocated for beaver removal.
Future outlook
The final budget delegations are scheduled to be approved on December 18, 2025, with the meeting ending at 11:13 a.m. The Commission has already set a clear course for the coming months and it will be interesting to see how the discussions around the budget develop. In addition, the collaboration with the Wabash Cannonball Trail focuses on the sustainable use of the area, which is very important in the current ecological discussion.