Statehouse may finally be poised to pass township reform

Lawmakers in the House and Senate have merged competing bills that seek to consolidate township governments.

Legislators have for years tried to reduce township government and now seem poised to follow through.

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.

Supporters have long argued that townships present an added layer of bureaucracy and funding that taxpayers should not have to shoulder.

Now, lawmakers are working to merge not just township government but the legislative strategies for doing so. In a House committee on Tuesday, they discussed efforts to merge the two bills. 

Senator Rick Niemeyer (R-Lowell) sponsored the Senate version of the bill, which has now been amended to include parts of the House version that mandate mergers based on overlapping boundaries. His language would require townships that score points for poor performance to consolidate. 

“The bill is there for good reason,” he said. “You’re not going to be able to stay out if you score four points. I appreciate all the hard work that was done on this bill over the weekend on both sides of the aisle.”

Township trustees initially testified they preferred Niemeyer’s legislation, triggering mergers based on performance. 

The Senate bill was expected to merge roughly 300 townships statewide, while the House version could merge around 600. It’s not yet clear how the amended bill will impact the number of consolidations statewide. 

Rep. Karen Engleman (R-Georgetown) said the amended bill combined different strategies for township government consolidation. 

“With this amendment, designated townships, those with more than four points that are 80% coterminous with a municipality and share 51% of their population, will reorganize, utilizing the process outlined in House Bill 1315,” she said. 

Lawmakers repeatedly praised one another for being able to compromise on the final bill. 

Committee chair Rep. Chris May (R-Bedford) specifically thanked Sen. Niemeyer for working with House authors on the legislation. 

“It seems a lot of times being willing to negotiate and come to a compromise can be met by some with anger,” he said. “Fortunately, the chair hasn't been around long enough to become that jaded.”

The bill now heads to the full House. 

Contact Health Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org