Madison Matters.info

Aug. 11 Issue

Property Tax Rate Increases 62.5%
By Gregg Terhune

A report posted on Indiana's Department of Local Government (DLGF) website shows Madison Township's property tax rate has increased 62.5% in only four years. This all began when in 2006 three firemen were elected to the Madison Township Advisory Board and township spending on the Fire Fighting Fund skyrocketed. The Board said at the public meeting in June that they are trying to get the spending under control but the reports don't show that to be the case. The DLFG reports that in 2007 the Township was spending $474.55 per capital (per person) and by 2009, it has jumped to an unbelievable $825.99 per capita. That is a staggering increase to an already high spending rate, which will blow your mind when you realize that the State says the average spending rate for a township is only $61 per capita.

Your taxes may not look as if you have been funding this level of spending, but that is because much of it has been on borrowed money. This year's Indiana State Board of Accounts audit called much of the borrowing "excessive" and an indicator of serious financial problems. This year the Board began the year by borrowing $808,000 and right now they are waiting to see if they will be approved by the DLGF to borrow another nearly $500,000. This means that even if a new board goes in after the fall election, taxes will remain high until all of these loans are paid off.

On February 12, 2009, the Martinsville Reporter-Times ran an article that showed Madison Township was spending in their Fire Fighting Fund as much as all the other 13 townships in Morgan County combined.

To view the reports mentioned in this article, you can go to the DLGF website at: http://wwww.in.gov/dlgf/8379.htm

Then look for the following reports:

Certified Total Tax Rates by Unit, 2006-2010
2007 Expenditure Per Capita Report (Published in 2008)
2009 Expenditure Per Capita Report )Published in 2010).

Morgan County Prosecutor To Pursue Three Concerns in Audit
By Susan Johnson

Six weeks ago, the State Board of Accounts audit for Madison Township was made public. A group of concerned residents took the eleven egregious violations in the audit to the Morgan County Prosecutor. He reviewed the audit and took time out from his busy schedule to listen to our concerns. We felt an investigation should be done to rule out any criminal activity at the township level. The appearance of impropriety seemed evident in the audit. The prosecutor was not so convinced but was cocerned and wanted to pursue three areas of the audit with the Morgan County Examiner from the State Board of Accounts.

The three areas are:

The tax anticipation warrant of $808,000 loan from Regions Bank that Madison Township took in March 2010.

The lack of receipts and documentation of some money disbursed.

The documents of hours and days worked by Kenny VanSlyke for the moving of the Madison Township cemeteries.

The taxpayers of Madison Township deserve to know the truth and with the help of the Morgan County Prosecutor, we will know if there was any criminal activity. As of this date, we are still awaiting the outcome of the prosecutor's search into his concerns on the township's audit.

On November 2

Vote for fiscal responsibility

Elect

Township Trustee Candidate

David Reddick

Advisory Board Candidates

Jim Davis
Jim Miles
Gregg Terhune
Glynn Watson

Paid for by Gregg Terhune for Township Advisory Board

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Aug. 11 Issue