Indiana Township Government
At the community, grassroots level, Indiana is served by a Township form of government which is overseen by an elected Township Trustee and Township Board. These officials live in the community which they serve, and are directly responsible to their neighbors, friends and family.
The idea of Township Government is as old as the United States- a grassroots form of government where citizen officials contribute to maintain community values and goals. The duties of the the Township Trustee are diverse, and are set by state law and community needs.
Your Township Team
Bloomfield Township citizens have elected four township officers: Bill Pipher, Trustee; Pat Merrifield, Allen Connelly and Rob Elliott, Township Board. These elected officials oversee township services, which may include:
News of Note…
2010 Legislative Session Advances Changes to Township Government…
- House Bill 1181-
HB1181 would require a public question to be placed on the November 2010 general election ballot in each township regarding whether the voters want to retain a township trustee and township board. If a majority of voters in a township do not approve the public question, the powers and duties of the trustee and township board are transferred to the county on January 1, 2012. This bill sets up the possibility of having township government in some townships and not in others within the same county.
- HB1181 has passed the House and has been sent to the Senate. In the Senate the House wording was stripped and the language of SB 240 was inserted. The rewritten bill was passed by the Senate and was returned to the House. The House dissented on the changes and the bill has now been sent to a House-Senate conference.
- Senate Bill 240-
SB240 eliminates the township board and specifies that in each county after December 31, 2012: (1) the county fiscal body (county council) is the fiscal body and legislative body of each township in the county; and (2) the county fiscal body shall exercise the legislative and fiscal powers assigned in the Indiana Code to township boards, including the authority to adopt the township’s annual budget and to levy township property taxes for township funds.
- This bill effectively passes township duties over to the county.
- SB240 has passed the Senate and has been sent to the House. SB 240 was not brought to a vote in the House. The Senate stripped the language from HB1181 and inserted the language from SB 240 into HB1181. See HB1181 above.
- If you have questions or concerns about either of these bills, you are encouraged to contact your state senator and your state representative:
Census Bureau Hiring…
- January 18, 2010: The Census Bureau is still looking for persons from LaGrange County to fill positions. Jobs will pay on average $12.25 per hour. Interested individuals will need to fill out an application and sit for a test. More information can be found by calling 1-866-861-2010, or by going to the website 2010censusjobs.gov.
2010 Horse Drawn Vehicle (Buggy) Licenses…
- Bloomfield Township will again administer the disbursement of Horse Drawn Vehicle licenses for LaGrange County. Plate distribution will be at the township office, 818 N. Detroit St., LaGrange, Saturdays in March (6,13,20 & 27) from 9 am – 12 noon.
Fire Department adds new equipment…and upgrades existing equipment
- The main pumper truck for the LaGrange Fire Department was recently updated to include state of the art foam capabilities. In addition, Bloomfield and Clay townships provided the funding for 6 new units of turnout gear, helping to maintain optimum safety for our volunteer firefighters.
- In 2009, the Town of LaGrange, Bloomfield Township and Clay Township updated their fire fighting capabilities with the purchase of a new tanker truck. The Danko, 3000 gallon tanker with a Peterbuilt chasis will replace a 1984 International, 1500 gallon tanker.
