Citizens for Center Grove, the group of residents seeking to have the unincorporated area of White River Township become a town has released a summary of the information contained in the 200 page petition submitted to the Johnson County Commissioners last week. (Full disclosure, I am on the board of directors of C4CG).
There are changes in the proposed budget based on feedback from area residents. Here are the three areas where the budget changed, according to C4CG:
- Many residents, even those against the idea, suggested the cash reserve should be doubled to 20%. That increased the overall proposed budget by $465,210.
- A common question from residents was what amenities the town would provide, such as trails, sidewalks and parks. The budget now includess an additional $231,000 added for amenities.
- One of the strongest reasons for creating the town is for the residents to take responsibility for their own future. Many residents wanted planing and development services to start as soon as possible. To accomplish that goal an additional $50,000 was added planning and zoning.
Here is a summary of the budget submitted with the petition:
- Proposed Budget Without Cash Reserve: $5,389,082
- Cash Reserve Amount: $930,420
- Proposed Budget With 20% Cash Reserve: $6,319.502
- Tax Rate with 20% Reserve: $ 0.2590 (per $100 of net assessed valuation)
The budget, broken out by category as well as details on the estimated tax rate and tax levy are available on the Citizens for Center Grove website.
The proposed town’s area is 22.5 square miles, larger than neighboring Greenwood, and would have a population of more than 27,000 residents according to the filing. Services listed in the petition include:
Services Provided
- Police Protection
- Street Construction, maintenance, and lighting
- Sanitary Sewers – as may be needed
- Storm Sewers (MS4)
- Parks & Recreation
- Planning & Zoning
Other Services Available currently available to residents that will not change include, fire protection, the White River Township and Bargersville Fire Departments each cover a portion of the town. The Center Grove School District will continue to include all of White River Township, and electrical and water services will remain the same. Residents now receiving sewer service will continue to receive it from their current provider. In the future if new areas need sewer service the town could contract with Bargersville and Greenwood, who currently provide services or would consider contracting with Citizens Water which provides sewer service to Indianapolis. Greenwood has it’s own sewer department and is responsible for all the sewer lines it has installed, and will continue to bill the customers it serves. Greenwood does not process the sewage. They purchase capacity from Citizens Water and Citizens processes the sewage at their plant in Indianapolis.
The next step for the effort is for the county to certify that the petition meets the requirements of Indiana’s incorporation law. No less than 60 days after that the County Commissioners will set a public hearing date. Notice of that meeting must be sent via certified mail to each resident and land owner of the proposed town. That mailing is expected to cost the residents in support of the idea $50,000. No tax payer funds are available for the effort. If you are interested in pledging support for the mailing visit the “Donate” page on the C4CG Website.
