Public Hearing Date: Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Public Hearing Time: 7:00 PM
Public Hearing Location: 7047 E. Landersdale Road Camby, IN 46113
Adoption Meeting Date: Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Adoption Meeting Time: 7:00 PM
Adoption Meeting Location: 7047 E. Landersdale Road Camby, IN 46113
You can view the proposed budget by clicking HERE
This a graphical representation of how the proposed budget compares to previous years.
On June 23rd, 2022 the Madison Township Advisory Board held a public meeting. At that meeting at least one agenda item was tabled; and parties from all sides agreed another meeting needed to be set to follow up. The board agreed to meet on July 21st, 2022 at 7pm.
By July 21st, there had been no notice posted on the door of the fire station, on the website, on social media, or in the newspaper.
Due to the lack of communication from the township, concerned citizens instead had to play telephone to notify each other that the meeting was canceled. No alternate dates have been announced.
I, and many others, were hoping for an update on the now 9 month long venture to get the roofing repairs made to the fire stations, as well as the potential sale of an old engine (which was needed and used since the last meeting).
The principled thing to do is set meetings at regular intervals in order to inform how tax dollars are spent, and answer any questions. This will help avoid any confusion and promotes cooperation with the public. Accountability and transparency should be the responsibility of elected officials – not the public citizens.
Madison Township Meeting 2022-06-23
Madison Township holds a public hearing for additional appropriations
The Community Taxpayers Association held a candidates forum on April 9th, 2022.
Kristin Alexander was the sole Libertarian invited to attend along with her four Republican challengers, but only two of them showed up to field questions from taxpayers.
Madison Township Meeting 2022-03-30
Discussion and vote to request a possible levy increase from the state.
2022-03-03 Madison Township Meeting
Discussion of insurance claim for roofing repairs.
Highlights:
Taxpayer concerns about accurate meeting notices have been voiced at every single meeting I have attended since 2019. Yet, Madison Township neglected to post appropriate advanced notice before an attempted public hearing regarding additional appropriations on December 9th, which led to a wasteful meeting with no votes and little discussion.
A second Madison Township Advisory Board meeting regarding the same additional appropriations was suddenly canceled on December 27th. I believe the cancellation was, again, due to insufficient / inaccurate advertisement.
Indiana Code 6-1.1-18-5 states that an additional appropriations process must begin with a public hearing; and a notice of the location, date and time must be published 10 days in advance. (A hearing is specifically meant to allow taxpayer input on additional expenditures.)
Appropriate notice was given before the planned December 27th meeting, but lacked important information like the time and location of the hearing.
Taxpayers have been very vocal about asking for cooperation from the township administration on this issue. Why do these mistakes keep happening? When they can’t get something as simple as a notice for public hearing correct it leaves citizens wondering if they are being intentionally secretive, or just sloppy.
I am publicly asking my Madison Township elected officials to take a more principled approach to public notices in the future. Meetings should be scheduled at a regular day and time each month so taxpayers can plan to attend if desired and public hearings should be properly advertised with more than two weeks’ notice.
CAMBY — The scheduled Madison Township Board meeting intended to approve additional appropriations ran into a problem Thursday night.
The meeting had barely started when a person in the audience pointed out the meeting and its agenda had not been advertised in the Reporter-Times or the Mooresville-Decatur Times.
The person pointed out that according to state law, additional appropriations are to be advertised at least 10 days before the meeting.
The person said neither the meeting nor the additional appropriation had been advertised. They felt the meeting should not continue.
Board chairman Larry Ellis agreed the deadlines had not been met.
There was discussion about when the meeting was advertised at the trustee’s office.
It was finally agreed that notice of the meeting had been posted at the office in time so the meeting could go on but the board could not vote on the additional appropriations.
There was also discussion on whether the state would allow them to do additional appropriations in December.
The board decided to contact the state and county auditor to see if they can still do the additional appropriations this year.
It was disclosed the state board of accounts is in doing an audit of the township.
According to township clerk Denise McClure, the state needs the minutes of the last two meetings approved. She asked the board to approve the minutes so she could get them to the state.
Board chairman Larry Ellis said he felt the $8,000 budgeted for the 2022 salary of the township’s investigator was too much. He felt based on the hours the investigator said she worked, the salary was too high. He proposed lowering it to $4,000.
That sparked a discussion about the investigator’s job and what she did.
In the end, Ellis made a motion to table the matter until the January meeting. Board member Jim Johnson seconded the motion. The vote was 2-1 with board member Amy Russell voting no. Russell said she did not feel they needed to discuss the matter that the salary should be left as is.
The board scheduled a meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 4 at the trustee’s office, 7947 E. Landersdale Rd., Camby.
Members of the board may meet later this month if they can meet the deadline for advertising the additions and if the state will allow them to approve them in December.
~ By Keith Rhoades | Reporter | Published December 10, 2021 in The Reporter Times
The Libertarian Party of Morgan County set up a booth at the 2021 Madison Township Freedom Festival. We had a great time meeting people, telling them about our party, and giving the World’s Smallest Political Quiz.
It turns out that Madison Township might be a little Libertarian! We are not as divided as they tell us we are.
