The Indiana House, on Tuesday, passed a bill that would merge some state townships in the next few years.
Senate Bill 270 — authored by state Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell — passed in a 61-35 vote Tuesday afternoon. The bill requires the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance to compile data on each township, except those in Marion County, by Dec. 31.
The department will assign points to each township, and one with at least four points would merge with one that has fewer than four points, according to the legislation. The department will assign points for various reasons, including if a township did not provide assistance in 2023 or 2024, if it didn’t manage fire protection or emergency medical services on Jan. 1, 2025, or if it didn’t file an annual finance report to the State Board of Accounts in 2023 or 2024.
State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, gave the bill overview on the House floor Tuesday.
“On one side, we have those who would like to see that form of government gone,” Slager said. “And on the other side, we have folks that say, ‘In my district, I’ve got townships that really are doing a great job,’ … I believe Senate Bill 270 is a compromise of those two schools of thought.”
Indiana’s number of townships could lead to more of an administrative burden than benefit, Slager said, and the Indiana Township Association supports the bill.
The House Local Government Committee made amendments to the bill that are a compromise between the House and Senate’s different approaches to township consolidation. State Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler, R-Noblesville, authored House Bill 1315, which would dissolve certain townships statewide by Jan. 1, 2028, and transfer powers, duties, offices and properties to a municipality or county.
According to the committee’s amendment, townships with more than four points and that share at least 80% of their borders and 51% of their population with a municipality will reorganize within House Bill 1315’s process, instead of merging with another township. The amendment also extended the merger timeline, and townships would have to provide the DLGF with information on their local coverage, including whether they have a fire district.
The amendments reflect a compromise between the two competing bills, Slager said Tuesday.
“This is a bill where we’re talking about a serious reduction of overhead for our taxpayers,” Slager said. “I think this is a tremendous first step.”
During the 2025 legislative session, Karen Engleman, R-Georgetown, authored House Bill 1233, which aimed to dissolve township government and give an elected county trustee powers and duties regarding township trustees, fire protection and emergency services, according to Post-Tribune archives. The bill also said that on Jan. 1, 2027, all fire protection districts and territories would dissolve, and fire services would be provided in accordance with a county plan.
The bill was sent to the House Local Government Committee but was never heard further.
In 2011, former Gov. Mitch Daniels and the Kernan-Shepherd report called for the complete elimination of township government, spotlighting ways to make government more cost-effective and efficient, according to Post-Tribune archives. The proposal was never passed by the legislature.
Gov. Mike Braun is expected to sign the bill into law at a later date.
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
