Scott Flood

How did property taxes get so crazy?

property taxes

Every year, my sister asked me the same question, and after I’d answer, she swore at me. She’s not given to profanity, but property taxes do tend to bring out our sour sides. She lives in one of Chicago’s close-in suburbs, and her annual property tax bill was usually quadruple what I paid on a … Read more

No cities (or mayors)

cities have tall buildings

What’s the difference between a town and a city? Most Hoosiers would answer by saying cities are big and towns are small, but that’s not accurate. For example, Brownsburg, with a 2020 population of 28,973, is a town – while Greencastle is a city, although its population was only 9,820. Nor does Greencastle’s status as … Read more

What’s whose responsibility?

responsibility in a group

When Rich Carlucci was Plainfield’s town manager, he’d often receive calls about school-related matters from citizens who didn’t realize town government has nothing to do with running schools in Indiana. If the call’s purpose was to pay a compliment about something the schools did, Rich would happily and graciously accept it, then hang up. When … Read more

Take some minutes (part 3 of 3)

taking minutes

They may not seem like much, but minutes are kind of a big deal. Last time, we explored a legal meeting, and minutes are the legal record of legal meetings. What makes them important? Once a government body formally adopts the minutes of a meeting (or a work or executive session), it becomes a legal … Read more

People with agendas (part 2 of 3)

board member with agenda

In the last column, we discussed the various types of sessions in which local government boards and councils perform their work. Now let’s take a look at their regular legal meetings. Again, what’s here are common practices. The meeting you walk into may be different. Indiana’s Open Door law requires public posting of the agenda … Read more

How local government meetings work (part 1 of 3)

government meetings have gavels

Maybe you’ve never attended a school board or town council meeting. Or maybe you’ve been to a meeting or two and found the process strange or confusing. Wherever you’re at, I’d like to share some insight into what’s going on and why it’s done that way. Every governing body is unique, and that includes the … Read more

Not just expensive tastes

expensive schools

That new school opened up … and no wonder my taxes jumped! They used marble floors, enormous windows, and even an elevator! You know those jerks on the school board just want to spend as much money as they can so they can outdo our rivals and boost their egos! No matter what your school … Read more

Why I hate dancing (and why you should care)

i hate dancing

(First, let me clarify: I do not hate the act of people dancing. I hate when the expectation is that I should join them, whether I want to or not. I don’t, because there is nothing I enjoy about participating.) As a kid, I loved to sing. At 5, my Sunday School teacher nicknamed me … Read more

You’ve got a right (don’t you?)

got a right

If you ever had the pleasure of watching Judge Jeff Boles at work, you heard him tell every defendant they were entitled to certain rights simply because they were fortunate enough to live in these United States. It was always a great reminder for everyone in the Hendricks Circuit Court’s room, now the province of … Read more

Jury service

jury service at murder trial

Few people react to a jury summons with excitement. In fact, some people don’t register to vote largely because they’re afraid of being called to serve. Hate to disappoint you, but that’s not the only way prospective jurors are selected. Have a driver’s license? Own property? The state taps into all sorts of data sources … Read more