Council sets public-safety income-tax distribution at 65/35 split for 2026

The Vigo County Council voted unanimously on June 3 to adopt a 65/35 distribution formula for the county’s public‑safety local income tax (LIT) payouts to municipal and township units for 2026.

The formula the council approved gives greater weight to run volume (65%) and the remaining weight to levy information (35%). A staff presentation explained the county receives 911 run‑data that shows how many response runs each jurisdiction handles; the levy data is the preexisting tax base. The council considered several alternative distribution splits ranging from heavier levy weighting to heavier run weighting and opted for the highlighted 65/35 option, which favors entities that respond to more incidents.

Why it matters: The distribution determines how LIT revenue is split among the county, the City of Terre Haute and incorporated towns and can affect budgets for local fire and emergency services. Council members asked whether unrelated budget items or the Riley budget question under consideration would affect the distribution; staff said the distribution decision is discretionary and does not interfere with other budget items.

Vote and procedure: Councilman Brad Anderson moved approval of the 65/35 distribution option and Councilwoman Brenda Wilson seconded. A roll call recorded aye votes from Randy Gentry, Nancy Alsop, Brenda Wilson, Steve Ellis, Vicky Wager and David Thompson. The motion passed 6‑0.

Implementation note: Staff told the council the formula options are derived from county 911 run statistics and levy records and that the council can choose any discretionary split. The decision does not change the total LIT revenue but allocates the revenue among participating units under the chosen weightings.