The first meeting of Van Wert County department heads was held Thursday morning, and the group spent much of the time talking about the county’s financial situation as well as computer system issues.

“This year we start on a positive. We’re up $13,000,” reported County Treasurer Bev Fuerst at a Thursday morning meeting of county department heads. “That’s what we got here in January for November sales, so I’m anxious to get February’s because that will be December sales. Hopefully, we had a great Christmas season.”

The figures show that the total income from the county’s 1.0 percent and the 0.5 percent sales tax was over $326,000 for November 2012 sales. That figure is up nearly $72,000 from just three years previous.