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Sellersburg officials warn Senate Bill 1 could force local rate increases to maintain services
Summary
Town officials at a budget workshop said Senate Bill 1’s property-tax changes are likely to reduce some local revenues and may require the Town of Sellersburg to find hundreds of thousands of dollars or raise local rates to maintain services such as police patrols and trash collection.
At a budget workshop, Town of Sellersburg officials warned that Senate Bill 1could reduce certain local revenue streams and likely will force the town to identify $250,000to $400,000 over a two-year period or raise local rates to cover services.
Town Council President (unnamed), speaking at the meeting, said the town historically has not pursued levy appeals and that will blunt the bills impact compared with neighboring communities that did file appeals. "We have historically not done levy appeals, which is going to work to our favor when the Senate bill hits," the president said.
Why it matters: officials said revenues that currently pay for items such as public-safety fuel and 911-related costs could decline, and those costs would still need to be paid. "I dont need a $400 tax credit on my property taxes. I need cops patrolling the streets. I need government to perform its functions. I need my trash picked up," the president said. Town staff estimated some budget lines (for example, gas for public safety) account for roughly $100,000 annually and would have to be funded from other sources if state distributions change.
Details presented: staff characterized the bill as changing property-tax distribution and repealing some appeal-related increases other towns obtained. The president said Sellersburgs relatively low municipal tax rate (compared with Clarksville, Charlestown and others) stems in part from not pursuing levy appeals. He cautioned that while Sellersburg may be less affected than some communities, "there is going to be an impact," and the timing and magnitude remain unclear.
Officials discussed potential local responses, including seeking new local tax options allowed by the law, raising rates, or identifying internal efficiencies and cuts. "At the end of the day, we have to try to figure out where we're allowed to possibly find 250 to $400,000 at some point in time within a 2 year period," a speaker said. Staff repeatedly emphasized the numbers were estimates and depend on state-calculated assessed values and final DLGF determinations.
Context: workshop participants noted some dedicated funding streams referenced in the meeting (for example, some 911 and public-safety reimbursements) are subject to interlocal agreements or state decisions and would still require payment even if state distributions change. Officials urged public awareness of how multiple independent taxing entities (schools, township, fire districts and municipal government) contribute to the tax bill.
Looking ahead: speakers said more precise budget impacts will not be known until the state finalizes assessed values and related calculations. The council asked staff to continue modeling scenarios and to bring options to future meetings for deliberation and potential action.
