ANDERSON — A state agency will review the budget for every taxing unit in Madison County today. And it has asked the public to participate.

The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) will hold a public hearing at 11 a.m. today at the Commissioners’ Court Room 110 at the Madison County Government Center.

Madison County Auditor Kathy Stoops-Wright said DLGF Budget Division Director Karen Large is expected to attend the meeting, where she will call upon representatives of the county’s 43 taxing units to answer questions about their budgets, tax rates and levies. The public will also receive an audience.

“Essentially it is an opportunity for members of the general public to comment on the proposed tax rates and levies for the 2010 budgets of local units of government in Madison County,” said Mary Jane Michalak, director of communications for the DLGF. “It is one of the last steps before the department can certify the budget for the county and all its taxing units.”

That process begins with a “ratio study,” which ensures that market values are being used to determine assessed values for property. Once the study is approved, the DLGF must, by July 1, send gross assessed values to the county auditor to apply exemptions, deductions or abatements by Aug. 1. The DLGF can then process county budgets and calculate preliminary tax rates.

After long delays in recent years, Madison County is ahead of schedule in the current budget process. That could mean property tax billing on time.

Madison County submitted its ratio study on Aug. 28, 2009, 97 days sooner than last year, according to Michalak. Its certified net assessed values were submitted Dec. 16, 140 days sooner.

“If we issue the budget order for Madison County by the end of February, that should result in on-time bills,” Michalak said. “This would mean tax bills would have to be mailed by April 23, 2010, with a May 10, 2010, due date. Last year, the budget order was certified on June 12, 2009, so a February budget order for Madison County would be great progress.”

Michalak said Kosciusko and Owen counties were the only counties to bill on time last year.

“By the 15th of February, the DLGF comes back and says ‘taxing unit A, you’re OK,’or ‘taxing unit B, you have to cut $65,000’ or whatever,” said Madison County Commissioner Paul Wilson. “Basically, it’s just one last step of communications before the budget is approved.”

Wilson said preliminary word from the DLGF suggests that 80 of Indiana’s 92 counties are expected to meet regular deadlines.

“The problem the last couple of years was that they changed assessment values and they weren’t certified until the end of the budget year,” Wilson said. “With this schedule this year, we’re pretty much back to being on the money.”

Contact Justin Schneider at 640-4809 or justin.schneider@heraldbulletin.com



Public hearing

Review of budgets, tax rates and levies of taxing units by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance

11 a.m. today in the Commissioners’ Court, Room 110, at the Madison County Government Center, 16 E. Ninth St., Anderson

Schedule:

Town of Ingalls

Town of Markleville

Town of Orestes

Adams Township

Anderson Township

Boone Township

Duck Creek Township

Fall Creek Township

Green Township

Lafayette Township

Monroe Township

Pipe Creek Township

Richland Township

Stony Creek Township

Van Buren Township

Alexandria Community Schools

Frankton-Lapel Community Schools

South Madison Community Schools

Elwood Community Schools

Anderson Community Schools

Jackson Township

Union Township

City of Anderson

Anderson Redvelopment District

City of Alexandria

City of Elwood

Town of Chesterfield

Town of Country Club Heights

Town of Edgewood

Town of Frankton

Town of Lapel

Town of Pendleton

Pendleton Redevelopment District

Town of River Forest

Town of Summitville

Town of Woodlawn Heights

Independence Special Fire District

East Central Indiana Solid Waste District

Alexandria-Monroe Public Library

Anderson/Stony Creek Public Library

Pendleton Community Public Library

North Madison County Public Library

Madison County