INDIANA GOVERNMENT

• Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th U.S. state on December 11, 1816.

• As of the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 6,483,802 people residing in the state

• The government of Indiana is established and regulated by the Constitution of Indiana. The state-level government consists of three branches, the judicial branch, the legislative branch, and the executive branch. The three branches balance share power and jointly govern the state of Indiana.

County And Local Government

• The state is divided into 92 counties

• County and local governments are also constitutional bodies with limited authority to levy taxes, pass legislation, and create and maintain local public infrastructure.

Indiana General Assembly

• The Indiana General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. The General Assembly meets annually at the Indiana State House in Indianapolis.

Indiana Senate Districts

Indiana State House Districts

• Members of the General Assembly are elected from districts that are realigned every ten years. Representatives serve two-year terms; senators serve four-year terms. Both houses must pass a bill before it can be submitted to the governor and enacted into law.

• Article 4, Section 7, of the Constitution of Indiana states the qualifications to become a Senator or Representative. The candidate must have been a United States Citizen for a minimum of two years prior to his candidacy and must have been resident of the district which he seeks to represent for one year. Senators must be at least twenty-five years of age and Representatives twenty-one when sworn into office. The candidate cannot hold any other public office in the state or federal government during their term. The candidate must also be a registered voter within the district they seek to represent. Candidates are required to file papers stating their economic interests.

• Article 4, Section 3, of the constitution of Indiana places several limitation on the size and composition of the General Assembly. The Senate can contain no more than fifty members, and the senators serve for term of four years. The House of Representatives can contain no more than one hundred members, and the representatives serve terms of two years. There is no limit to how many terms a Senator or Representative may serve

Judicial

• The Supreme Court of Indiana is the highest judicial body in Indiana. The court oversees the lower courts and commissions that jointly make up the judicial branch. The other courts include the Indiana Tax Court, the Indiana Court of Appeals, and circuit, superior, and city or town courts. The courts are assisted by several commissions that are also part of the judicial branch, including the Judicial Nominating Commission.

• The Indiana Supreme Court is made up of five judges with a Court of Appeals composed of 15 judges. The governor selects judges for the supreme and appeal courts from a group of applicants chosen by a special commission. After serving for two years, the judges must acquire the support of the electorate to serve for a 10-year term

• In nearly all cases, the Supreme Court does not have original jurisdiction and can only hear cases that are petitioned to the court following being heard in lower courts. Local circuit courts are where the majority of cases begin with a trial and the consequence decided by the jury. The Supreme Court does have original and sole jurisdiction in certain specific areas including the practice of law, discipline or disbarment of Judges appointed to the lower state courts, and supervision over the exercise of jurisdiction by the other lower courts of the Stat

Executive

• The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive officer of the government of Indiana. Elected to a four-year term, the Governor is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of the state government. The governor is assisted by other officials elected to the executive branch including the Lieutenant Governor and the Attorney General.

County governments are made up of two bodies.

• County Council: A county council of seven to fifteen members controls all spending and revenue of the county government. Four of the representatives are elected from county districts; the other three representatives are elected at large. The council members serve four year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, usually in the form of an income tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, or service taxes, like those on dining or lodging.

White County Building

Commissioners

• Commissioners: The executive body consists of three to five commissioners. The commissioners are elected county wide, usually in staggered terms, and serve four-year terms. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. They are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

• Counties also employ boards to oversee different aspects of the county. These boards are usually filled by direct election from the public, appointment by the commission, or a combination of both methods. Boards typically oversee management of water facilities, public roads, and new projects, among others tasks. Each school district has a board that is elected by public election. County school boards are responsible for funding and management of the public school system within their district. The majority of school funding comes from property taxes imposed by the board on the district. The tax rate is subject to state level approval and is capped, by law, at 1% of property value.

County Courts

• Court: Each county forms a Judicial Circuit of the state, and has a Circuit Court. Some counties also have Superior Courts. These are the courts of general jurisdiction. Marion County also has dedicated small claims court.

County Officials

• County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of the county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county

• Departments

• Area Plan Office • Assessor's Office • Auditor • Building Commissioner • Circuit Court • Clerk Circuit Court • Clerk Superior Court • Co. Commissioners • Coroner • Co. Council • Economic Dev • EMA • Environmental Officer • Extension Office

Health Dept. Highway Dept Maintenance Probation Prosecutor Recorder Recycling Center Solid Waste Dist Soil & Water State Tax Rep Superior Court Surveyor Township Trustees Treasurer Veterans

Town Government• Many small communities in Indiana are incorporated as towns. A

town has a council-manager form of government, with a three- or five-member Town Council serving as the legislature and the executive. The council may appoint a non-partisan town manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the municipal government. The council is responsible for setting the town's budget and tax rates, and appointing all town employees.

• Unlike some states, Indiana council members must declare a political party affiliation, if any, when they file to run for office. Upon election in November, they are sworn in before January 1 of the following year, where they serve a four-year term. There are no state term limits affecting how many times a candidate may run for reelection to office.

• A town also elects a clerk/treasurer, who manages the town's finances. As an elected official, the clerk/treasurer is solely executive in function and operates independently of the town council, but operates within the council-approved budget.

City Government

• Most larger communities are incorporated as cities. A city can be either a third-class city or a second-class city (the first-class designation is reserved for Indianapolis). An Indiana city has a mayor-council form of government, but a third-class city may appoint a city manager. The mayor, elected to a four-year term, serves as the executive. Most mayors in Indiana are elected in partisan elections. The legislative branch consists of a five-, seven-, or nine-member City Council. Council members serve four-year terms, and may be elected by geographic districts or at-large. Most cities in Indiana use districts.

Township Government

• A township trustee administers the civil government of the township. The trustee is elected by the residence of the township to a term of four years. The trustee is responsible for providing fire protection and ambulance service to unincorporated areas, providing for poor relief and burial of the indigent, maintaining cemeteries and burial grounds, resolving fencing disputes between neighbors, investigating claims of livestock killed by dogs, controlling weeds, managing the township budget and financial records, and preparing an annual financial report. The trustee also acts as the property tax assessor. Other public matters in which a trustee may sometimes be involved include zoning, parks, libraries, schools, shelters and community centers.

• The trustee is assisted by a three-member Township Board whose members are 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.

White County Townships

• Big Creek Jackson

• Lincoln Cass

• Monon Round Grove

• Liberty Princeton

• Prairie Honey Creek

• West Point

• Union

Townships