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Duties of Indiana
Township Trustees
 By
far the largest single group of elected officials in Indiana, Township
Trustees govern 1,008 townships covering every part of the state. Like
most elected officials, the Township Trustee serves a four year term. Many
Township Trustees work at their jobs in addition to serving their
constituents.
Assisting the Township Trustee in managing this very localized form of
government is a three member Township Board (except Marion County who must
have 7 member boards). Among its duties are the
adoption of the annual budget, serving as a board of finance, and
approving township contracts.
Indiana law requires that the Township Trustees provide essential services
to the residents and businesses of the Township. Because of its
"grassroots" structure, the Township Trustee system is designed
specifically to quickly meet the needs of the individual in an emergency.
Fire
Protection
Township Trustees are, by Indiana law, charged with the responsibility of
providing fire protection and ambulance service for the areas of the
township not incorporated into a city or town. The protection can be
provided by contracting with various fire departments, operating a
Township Fire Department, or a combination of both. (IC36-8) Decatur
Township operates its own fire department.
Poor
Relief
Overseeing the poor and distributing poor relief is a primary duty in many
townships. The trustee is charged to care for the poor by the most
economical means available and at the same time is charged to be sure that
the necessary needs of an individual or family are met. The applicant must
show that they are unable to provide those needs through personal effort
and that they have exhausted all other means.
Many
trustees creatively cooperate with other agencies and churches in their
areas, keeping costs controlled and delivering services needed. The
advantage the Trustee's systems has over other forms of welfare is the
freedom to discern whether or not an individual has and is willing to put
forth that personal effort to help themselves. (Title 12 of IN Code)
Burials
Burial assistance is available from the Township Trustee when no other
means of payment are available. The trustee, according to IC Title 12, is
to oversee the burial of the indigent.
Assessing
In townships with a population under 10,000 the trustee is also the
township assessor and is responsible for assessing the real and personal
property within their township.
Personal property is assessed yearly and consists of mobile homes and
tangible personal property of an individual, business, or farm. Real
property is assessed during a reassessment period with new buildings being
added yearly.
Financials
Each August, the trustee prepares and submits a budget for the incoming
year to the three-person township board for approval. As the Chief
Financial Officer of the township, the trustee pays and records all claims
for the township expenses and salaries and is responsible to keep accurate
records and follow all the financial guidelines set out in Indiana Code.
In
January of each year, the trustee presents to the board an annual report
which shows all receipts, expenditures, investments and debts. The
approved report is then published in local papers for public inspection.
Cemetery Maintenance
According to IC Code 23-14 the trustee is to provide and maintain
cemeteries located in the township. This includes those cemeteries which
have been abandoned.
Weed
Control
IC15-3-4 charges the trustee with destroying detrimental weeds within
their township. Guidelines for notification to the property owner are set
within the law.
Fence Disputes
When a dispute arises between two land owners regarding placement and
maintenance of line fences, the trustee is to make determination according
to Indiana law 32-10-9.
Livestock Claims
If livestock is killed or damaged by unknown dog(s), the owner of the
livestock may file a report with the trustee who investigates the claim.
If valid, the trustee reimburses the owner for the loss from the dog fund
which receives moneys from the dog tags sold each year by the Trustee and
Assessor within the township.
Miscellaneous Duties
There are other areas of responsibility for trustees that are not
widespread. Those include:
·
Parks and Recreation
·
Zoning & Planning
·
Small Claims Court
·
Emergency Medical Service
·
Schools
·
Community Centers
·
Shelters
TO CONTACT YOUR
DECATUR TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE
Steve Rink
5410 S. High School Rd.
Indianapolis, IN 46221
(317)-856-6600
You may also Email the Trustee at
srink@decaturfire.org
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