Lawmakers are once again trying to dissolve some township governments in Indiana.
Indiana set up the township structure back in the 1800s to help local communities manage everything from roads to schools. Today, over 1,000 townships are mainly charged with the distribution of assistance to the poor and fire protection.
Lawmakers have for years debated reducing township government, arguing that it presents an added layer of bureaucracy and funding that taxpayers have to shoulder.
Two bills are moving through the Senate and House with competing visions for how to reduce the local government structure.
In the House, a bill would require townships of a certain size to dissolve. In the Senate, a separate bill is aimed at determining how effective a township is and merging those that fall below a certain threshold.
Senator Rick Niemeyer (R-Lowell) sponsored the Senate bill, which he said would cause over 300 townships to merge. He said it was important not to use the population as the metric for getting rid of a township.
“Because maybe there are some townships out there that would fall under some kind of population figure but are really doing their job and what they need to do,” he said.
Niemeyer said every county would at least have one township that remains in place.
Specifically, the bill awards “points” to townships based on performance. A township that didn’t disburse assistance in calendar years 2023 and 2024 would be awarded two points. Any township with four or more points would need to merge.
In the House, Rep. Alaina Shonkweiler (R-Noblesville) introduced a bill that would require townships to dissolve if they have populations smaller than 6,700 residents, do not have a fire station, and give out less assistance than twice what is paid to township employees. The bill would also require townships to dissolve if they share the majority of their boundaries with a city or town.
Shonkweiler’s bill is likely to impact over 600 townships, according to a legislative analysis.
During a hearing on the House bill last week, township trustee Cathy Lareau urged lawmakers to vote it down in favor of the Senate township bill.
“We recognize you need to do something, but to remove this grassroots form of government, I think, would be a disservice to the constituents,” she said.
Both bills have continued to move through their respective chambers.
Contact Government and Health Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org