Township Trustee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Township Trustee is an elected office in the local government of the U.S. state of Indiana. A township trustee administers a township, which in Indiana is the primary political subdivision of a county, and in common with most other state officials serves a term of four years.
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[edit] Duties
The duties of a township trustee include:
- Providing fire protection and ambulance service to unincorporated areas of the county
- Providing for poor relief and burial of the indigent
- Maintaining cemeteries and burial grounds
- Resolving fence disputes
- Investigating claims of livestock killed by dogs
- Controlling weeds
- Managing the township budget and financial records
- Preparing an annual financial report
In townships with a population under 10,000, the trustee also acts as the property assessor. Other public matters in which a trustee may sometimes be involved include zoning, parks, libraries, schools, shelters and community centers.
[edit] Township Board
The trustee is assisted by a three-member Township Board whose members are also elected to four year terms. Duties of the board include adopting the annual budget, serving as a board of finance and approving township contracts. In January of each year, the trustee presents to the board an annual report showing the receipts, expenditures, investments and debts of the township. The approved report is then published in local papers for public inspection.
