Whitestown holds public hearing and first reading of 2026 budget and tax-rate estimates

Whitestown — The Town Council conducted a public hearing and the first reading of the 2026 proposed budget, including preliminary tax-rate estimates and projected appropriations.

Nathan Fox of Cronin Associates, Whitestown’s municipal advisor, reviewed the budget schedule, public-notice requirements and the assumptions underlying the draft 2026 ordinance. He told the council the town must adopt the budget by Nov. 1 and that staff had provided the required ten-day notice for the public hearing. Fox and town staff said the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) evaluates budgets on an 18-month rolling basis and that the town’s application for a three-year growth appeal (the last year it may apply under current rules) could affect the adopted levy.

Why it matters: Staff said Whitestown has seen rapid assessed-value growth in recent years. The budget materials show assessed values have almost doubled since 2022; those increases affect the town’s tax-rate calculations. Staff reported the draft budget allocates property-tax levies across major funds and includes proposed pay increases: a guaranteed 3% cost-of-living adjustment for civilian town and clerk-treasurer employees, plus additional merit/performance components (two percentage points baked into DNEs for a total potential 5% for some positions); the police requested 5% and the fire union has a contractual 4% increase.

Questions and public comment: Council members asked whether the draft tax-rate scenarios relied on a 5% or 15% increase in assessed value; staff explained the advertised figures are intentionally conservative and provide flexibility. Several council members discussed the risks of Senate Bill 1 (a state-level property-tax change discussed during the meeting) and how its phase-in deductions could alter assessed values and tax-rate calculations over several years. During the public hearing citizen Ken Kingshill noted concerns about rising legal expenses and urged clearer public access to detailed departmental budgets; staff responded with line-item figures on legal expenditures going back several years.

Outcome and next steps: The hearing closed after one in-room speaker and no online commenters. The budget remains at first reading; staff said the council will consider formal adoption at its scheduled October meeting (staff listed Oct. 8 as the planned adoption date). Fox and staff will update numbers as certified assessed values and DLGF decisions arrive before final adoption.

Ending: Council members and staff flagged the need for continued attention to long-term levy limits and potential future revenue constraints under state reform; the first reading ended without a vote to adopt.