Indianapolis, In. — House Bill 1005 proposed by Republican Cindy Zeimke from Batesville would force townships with a population of 1,200 or less to merge. If approved by lawmakers the merger of about 300 townships in the state would occur over a five year period.
Zeimke tells WRBI News, “I am all about the best performance of every unit of government to benefit the taxpayer.”
Currently Indiana has 1,005 townships that provide emergency and some support services to residents. For townships that have experienced population declines, budgets and maintaining services are an ongoing concern.
Zeimke has met with leaders from the Indiana Township Association in order to find operational efficiencies.
The expected savings come from eliminating advisory board members that require liability insurance policies, facilities costs, utilities and labor.
Long-time Decatur County trustee from Clay Township and volunteer firefighter David Israel says he has concerns about the proposal moving forward. H wants to know how differing tax rates between merging townships would be handled, firefighter training, coverage and response times would change.
