Be informed... get involved!
It's all about being informed
By Debbie Lowe Staff writer

Indiana Code dictates how a governmental or taxing entity publicizes to establish a tax to bolster a budget line-item fund. The taxing entity must pay for a "legal ad" or public notice in the local newspaper, in this case the Comet. Those advertisements appear in a second section of the weekly paper. The font size and ad cost are determined by the general assembly. The print size is small and the legal can be easily missed.

However, even when the rules are followed and a public notice appears in the newspaper, there is a contingent of county residents who do not believe there has been adequate notification.

That is the case of what happened recently in Washington Township. Trustee Lois Wallace felt the need to establish a cumulative fire fund for equipment and she posted notices according to the Indiana Code. Although Wallace declined to be interviewed for this article, she stated the fund was not going to be used to build a fire station in Deer Creek.

A small group of Deer Creek residents were surprised when they noticed the public notice in the Comet and requested additional notification from the trustee so that all township residents could be aware of the additional tax requested and for what the money would be used.

But according to resident Sandy Hutchens, the residents were told the state statute was followed and there would be no further advertisement. Hutchens and others in the community did not feel the legal notification was adequate and took it upon themselves to enlarge it as it appeared in the Comet. They distributed the enlargement to inform residents of the new tax.

"The whole point is, residents will be paying the tax and we need to know what's going on," Hutchens said.

Seven township residents attended the public hearing for the tax on March 19 at 7 p.m. Hutchens reported township residents learned at the meeting that fire protection would be provided to the community by Camden and Clymers, but not by Young America. Part of the township had been served by the Young America department until this year.

"There is no lack of coverage in Washington Township," Camden Fire Chief Chuck Foreman told the Comet. "The township has contracts with Camden and Clymers."

According to Hutchens, the group learned Clymers needed to upgrade their equipment to handle the extra load. They understood the need for the additional tax and did not oppose the action by the township trustee and advisory board.

"We just wanted to know what was going on," Hutchens said.

She explained township government is the grassroots of county government. It is the first place to start when a taxpayer wants to become involved with local government and leadership.

"It's the township trustee's job to represent us," Hutchens continued. "It is the taxpayers' job to hold the township trustee accountable."

Washington Township resident and county commissioners' president Loren Hylton said he got his political start in township government. He agreed, getting involved in township government is a positive step.

"I realized it was important for the children's future," he said about becoming involved in government on the township level. "That's what motivated me to become active in government."