Indiana farmers facing steep increases in building assessments are calling for changes to the state’s property valuation system, warning lawmakers Wednesday that similar structures are being assessed differently across county lines.

Indiana Farm Bureau representatives told the Interim Study Committee on Fiscal Policy that updated state cost tables have pushed up the assessed values of barns, grain bins and livestock facilities ahead of next year’s tax bills.

They urged lawmakers to address those discrepancies rather than leave individual property owners to challenge their assessments.

State officials acknowledged the concerns but cautioned that assessment changes alone would not resolve complaints about rising tax bills. They instead recommended preserving annual adjustments while improving assessment data and testing automated valuation tools.

Lawmakers also raised concerns about longtime homeowners whose assessments climb as new or renovated houses change the surrounding market, and questioned whether new technology could help catch errors before taxpayers have to appeal.

The committee additionally heard an update on Indiana’s childcare voucher programs and proposals to finance expanded access ahead of the 2027 budget session. Discussions focused on sustaining the state’s recent voucher expansion and drawing more investment from employers, philanthropy and local governments.

Farm building increases draw concerns

Katrina Hall, Indiana Farm Bureau’s senior director of policy strategy and advocacy, said the organization commissioned Policy Analytics to examine agricultural building assessments after members began reporting large increases earlier this year.

The analysis initially showed a statewide increase of about 44% in assessed value for the agricultural buildings studied, she said. Later data, reflecting appeals and discussions with assessors, reduced that increase to 29% — still about $2 billion in additional assessed value for taxes payable in 2027.

More than half of the parcels in the later analysis had increases of at least 15%, Hall said. The figures show how much assessed values increased, not how much farmers’ tax bills will rise.

Hall said the discrepancies suggest a problem with statewide consistency. Some assessors made adjustments to the cost tables, she said, while others appeared to use them without similar changes. Identical buildings of the same age can consequently receive different values in neighboring counties.

She argued that appeals cannot substitute for correcting the underlying assessment process.

“Appeals are like a parcel at a time,” Hall said. “They are not fixing problems with assessing in the tax base.”

Farm Bureau wants the state to consider a nationally recognized valuation system, like Marshall & Swift, and examine outdated depreciation schedules. Hall said taxpayers seeking to challenge assessments often get appraisals using that system, creating a mismatch with the state’s tools.

The organization also proposed moving agricultural improvements from the 3% property tax cap category to the 2% category. Hall said its analysis estimated about $44 million in savings across agricultural properties.

That would be a tax relief change separate from revisions to assessment methods.

The proposals follow Indiana’s 2025 property tax overhaul, which changed homeowner deductions and credits, business personal property taxation and local government revenue rules.

A subsequent Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute analysis found that most homeowners would likely receive relief, but owners of low-value homes could face increases while more expensive homes received larger breaks.

State defends annual adjustments

Tim Rushenberg, general counsel for the Department of Local Government Finance, said Indiana can change its assessment tools, but the results must still meet constitutional requirements for uniform, equal and just valuations.

The department’s report explains that assessed value is only one part of a property tax bill, which also depends on local budgets, tax levies, deductions, credits and caps.

“An individual parcel can see a higher bill even when the district rate falls, or a lower bill despite increasing gross assessed value,” Rushenberg said. “There’s a lot of moving parts, so there is no reliable shortcut from gross assessed value to taxpayer impact.”

Annual adjustments, commonly called trending, help keep assessments aligned with market evidence between physical reassessments, he said.

Less frequent updates could reduce annual changes but allow inequities to accumulate and produce larger increases when properties are eventually reassessed. Limits tied to purchase prices or annual assessment growth could also raise constitutional questions if comparable properties receive different treatment.

Cost tables provide a common starting point for estimating property values, Rushenberg continued, but their results must remain open to challenge using credible evidence.

Barry Wood, the department’s assessment division director, said the state previously updated cost schedules once every four years. It’s moving toward annual review of the schedules or a related adjustment factor to help limit large fluctuations.

Rushenberg said the department wants construction costs, appraisals and other evidence to evaluate whether particular agricultural building schedules need correction. Public comments on readoption of the state’s real property assessment rule close Oct. 23.

“We want to look at the data,” Rushenberg said. “We’ve asked for data to see where, maybe in the cost schedule, something isn’t adding up there. But we certainly don’t want to make a general assumption that an entire schedule is is incorrect.”

Homeowners face hurdles, too

Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, raised concerns about longtime homeowners whose assessments rise as new or renovated houses elevate housing prices, even when they have made no improvements themselves.

She urged officials to make the process easier to understand and reduce the need for homeowners to challenge inaccurate values.

“We live it, and so it’s easy for us, but it’s not easy for the average person, particularly if you’re an older individual,” Pryor said.

Wood said assessors can distinguish between different types and ages of homes within a neighborhood when applying adjustments.

Automated valuation models could help identify inconsistencies requiring closer review, said Hamilton County Assessor Kevin Poore. An assessor-led pilot is underway in Hendricks, Clark, Lake, Vanderburgh, LaPorte and Allen counties.

The department recommended beginning with an advisory or quality-control pilot, retaining local assessor judgment and taxpayers’ notice and appeal rights.

Still, Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, pressed for clear error measures and analysis of who would pay more or less before broader implementation.

“Anytime you bring a new model, you have to refine that system to be sure that there are no unintended consequences,” Qaddoura said.

Childcare funding debate continues

Also Wednesday, Adam Alson, director of the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning, said Gov. Mike Braun intends to continue the voucher expansion supported by a one-time $200 million infusion announced this spring.

“The additional 14,000 CCDF vouchers are funded solely with state dollars and for one fiscal year,” Alson said. “The governor is committed to continuing this increase in enrollment, and as such, this additional investment and allocation will be reflected in its upcoming budget.”

September figures presented to the committee showed 46,579 children enrolled across the Child Care and Development Fund and On My Way Pre-K programs, with 17,732 on their combined waitlists.

Regulated childcare capacity nevertheless fell about 3.3% from a year earlier, to 156,151 seats.

Alson said the administration is pursuing regulatory changes and additional ways for employers, philanthropy and local governments to invest.

Whitney Coake, a Taft public affairs director speaking on her own behalf, proposed a “QuadShare” framework combining employer, taxpayer, state and philanthropic contributions. It would fund expanded childcare assistance, 12 weeks of paid parental leave and an early care trust fund.

Her model estimated about $1.74 billion in annual operating expenses, separate from proposed trust fund deposits. Financing would include a 0.3% employer payroll contribution and a 0.15 percentage-point increase in the individual income tax rate. Philanthropic contributions and investment returns remain proposed or illustrative.

Alson emphasized that communities need flexibility to develop approaches suited to their families and employers.

“There are places throughout the state that are saying this is important,” he said. “How do we figure out how we do it?”

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I was watching sporting events this weekend, as I often do, and a common word kept coming up during the broadcasts.

The word was “confidence.”

The dictionary definition of “confidence” is a feeling of trust, a firm belief in your own abilities, or a certainty that someone or something is reliable.

You don’t have to be an expert on sports to understand how confidence plays into the success or failure of any participant or team.

It’s at the core of it.

Now, we should pause here and point out that confidence plays into every person in every state in every country in the world.

We think of it a lot when related to business, politics and leadership.

In sports, a player who is confident is more likely to perform well.

Here’s how this plays out.

A player works hard in the offseason. They understand what the team will expect of them in the coming season and they train their body and brain to meet that challenge.

The coaches see the results of that hard work and their confidence in that player executing that role well.

That leads to more playing time.

Their teammates see the same thing, and their confidence grows in that player, too.

Feeling that positivity coming from the people around them makes them feel good and makes them work even harder in practice.

That makes the whole team work harder in practice.

That makes the whole team better prepared for games.

A team that is better prepared for games plays better in those games.

The original player is now ready to do more and be more. They are ready to be asked for a larger role, and they not only make simple plays but also are making bigger plays—plays that have the potential to be game-changing and season-defining plays.

When you have enough of those kinds of players on your roster, you have the ingredients for a special season.

The key to all of it goes all the way back to where we started.

How does a player take that first step toward building supreme confidence?

Let me start by saying that there must be a level of that built into the person from the start. The foundation of it comes from within.

Maybe they’re born to confident parents who displayed that every day themselves.

Maybe it’s passed along in the gene pool.

Either way, the truth about confidence is that the more you have at a younger age, the more it can be fostered as you get older.

Next, a player needs to be around other players who are at the same level or are at a higher level of confidence than their own.

This will ensure they are challenged.

Too many parents either fall into the category of being “helicopter parents” or “lawnmower parents”.

“Helicopter parents” hover over their children in sports and in other aspects of their lives. They are overactive in their children’s lives, and they hinder their development. Their kids are constantly looking over their shoulders, waiting for their parents to intervene when apparent conflicts arise.

“Lawnmower parents” go ahead of their children and clear out any obstacles their children might face. Their goal is to make their kids’ path to success as easy as possible, so they eliminate anything and anyone that gets in the way.

And, on the surface, the success those kids get from that sort of upbringing does give kids confidence. But that confidence is short-lived. It won’t last, and it actually will be detrimental to them as they get to adulthood.

Kids need to be challenged, and parents are wise to put them in situations that challenge them.

Kids should lose sometimes. Kids should fail sometimes. It’s good for them!

Not all the time, but they need to appreciate what it takes to succeed and what it’s like when you don’t.

I know it seems weird, but failing occasionally will help build their confidence later.

The last part of this process is repetition.

No matter the sport, good habits lead to good results.

Now, this process applies outside of sports, too. You could remove the word “player” and plug in “musician”, “tradesman”, “real estate agent,” or any sector of life, and it works.

As adults, we should be actively seeking out young people to help build confidence in.

The post Sports columnist Roger Grossman on the importance of having confidence appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Ongoing property tax reforms in Indiana are expected to affect local tax revenues, and as a result, state law now requires counties to assemble a special committee that will consider raising local income tax. 

The special committee is known as MUST, which is short for a Municipal Unit Strategic Task Force, and representatives of all taxing units in the county are expected to gather at 8.30 a.m. Thursday at the courthouse in Warsaw.

Kosciusko County Councilman Joe Irwin, who was chosen to organize the meeting, said the MUST Committee has until 2028 to make a decision.

“The hope is that everybody's in good enough shape that we don't have to do anything. That's at least my hope,” Irwin said Tuesday.

The complicating factor is that the Republican-led General Assembly is expected to consider significant changes to tax policy when they meet in January.

“The county's stance is that there are two more legislative sessions between now and then, and we'd really like to see what the state ends up doing. They've made it pretty clear they're not done tweaking things," he said.

Thursday's MUST meeting is open to the public. Representatives from across the county are expected to attend.

“We all want to know where we're at. So I think it's important that everybody's there and that we have these conversations,” Irwin said.

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WARSAW — The City of Warsaw has announced road improvement project will resume Wednesday, 14, with work moving into portions of Patterson Road, 75 North, and Husky Trail.

The first phase of work involved a short section of Parker Street in front of Menards, just north of US 30.

As construction resumes, crews will continue roadway improvements along portions of:

• Patterson Road — from Husky Trail to 75 North
• 75 North — from Patterson Road toward 175 E.
• Husky Trail — from roundabout approach to Patterson Road

The project is being funded in part through the Indiana Department of Transportation’s Community Crossings Matching Grant program, which provides matching funds to local communities for road and bridge improvements.

The project includes a 4-inch structural mill, full-depth pavement patching, new intermediate and surface layers of HMA asphalt, and new pavement markings. These improvements are intended to address deteriorating pavement conditions, improve ride quality, and extend the useful life of these important roadways.

Motorists traveling through the Patterson Road and CR 75 North areas should expect lane restrictions, changes in traffic patterns, reduced speeds, and periodic delays as construction progresses.

Drivers are encouraged to use caution when traveling through the work zones, allow additional time for travel, and follow all posted traffic-control devices and directions from construction personnel.

The city will continue to provide updates regarding traffic restrictions and construction activities as work progresses through the remaining project areas.

The city appreciates the patience and cooperation of residents, businesses, emergency services, and motorists during the continued construction.

For additional information or project updates, contact the city's street department at 574-372-9561.

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WARSAW — He heard about the vote and understands what is at stake, but sees some potential "wins" amid Warsaw's no-good, awful, difficult summer.

Joe Fox, a 46-year-old Wabash native, said he was looking for a challenge and said he found one with his new job as library director at the Warsaw Community Public Library. 

Fox began his new role on Sept. 21 and replaces Heather Barron, who focused two years of her time on a renovation plan and left shortly after Warsaw City Council chose not to support it with a $17 million bond that would have paid for renovations and replacement of numerous mechanical issues that are long overdue.

The recent vote precludes the library from seeking another bond issue for two years.

Fox has degrees from Ball State University and Indiana University and worked for nearly a decade with the Indianapolis Public Library in a range of jobs, including overseeing a fleet of mobile libraries.

For the past three years, he was director at the Culver-Union Township Library, where he faced another type of challenge when the library saw a significant loss of staff due to tensions with the previous library director.

As an administrator, Fox said he believes he's well suited to face the next goals.

He also expressed empathy for taxpayers, many of whom spoke against the bond issue.

“I try and put myself in the heads of people who are really struggling right now who don't want another raise on their taxes. And to those people, I would tell them … Remember what the common good is and how many people we do help, and we have the numbers to show you.

He was asked what his message would be to people who think libraries are no longer relevant?

"Well, just because the library isn't relevant to those people or their families doesn't mean that it's not relevant to a great many others."

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Leslie Bonilla Muniz
Indiana Capital Chronicle

PLYMOUTH — About 125 Indiana National Guard members from Plymouth will deploy to southern Texas for nearly a year to boost immigration enforcement, relieving another mobilization from Monticello.

The members said goodbye to their family, friends and other loved ones during a departure ceremony Saturday.

They’re going as part of the ongoing Operation Arden Vanguard, launched in early 2025 to secure the U.S. border with Mexico.

“Our mission there is to support Customs and Border Protection. Essentially, we’re an extra set of eyes and ears on the southern border,” said Capt. Jakob Young, commander of the 381st Military Police Company. “If a soldier sees something, they will communicate that via radio to (U.S. Customs and Border Patrol), stand by, and wait for them to arrive.”

They will assist CBP and its parent agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, “within narrowly defined authorities,” according to a news release.

The mobilization also includes members from other guard units, like medics, supply specialists and mechanics.

They spent nearly a month training at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh to prepare for the mission, and will receive additional training in Texas at Fort Bliss and the mission site.

“Our men and women in uniform are trained and ready to support the needs of our state and nation,” said Indiana National Guard Maj. Gen. Justin Mann, commanding general of 81st Troop Command. “Those of us here at home have the responsibility to look after the families as their loved ones are deployed in uniform.”

They’ll replace the 38th Military Police Company from Monticello, which is scheduled to return to Indiana in “a few weeks,” according to the news release.

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PIERCETON — Third District Congressional candidate Kelly Thompson has campaigned across Northeast Indiana for 18 months and, on Sunday, she took time to knock on doors in Piereton, just south of her home in North Webster.

Thompson, a Democrat who is a mother of six and a grandmother of 13, previously ran for the state legislature in 2020, and said Sunday that people she meets are no longer focusing on just her party affiliation.

She said she's hearing concerns about President Donald Trump's policies.

[caption id="attachment_137119" align="alignright" width="170"] Thompson[/caption]

“Everybody, including common-sense Republicans, is against corruption. They want to defend the Constitution. They want to be proud of their country. And right now they're having to defend an administration that is the most corrupt in the history of our country,” Thompson said.

“And they're willing to entertain the idea of voting for something different,” she said.

Thompson faces incumbent Republican Marlin Stutzman, who is on his second stint in Congress. 

Thompson and a group of supporters canvassed parts of Pierceton on Sunday, and she had extended conversations with several people over the topics of affordability, health care and the economy.

[caption id="attachment_137118" align="alignright" width="170"] Stutzman[/caption]

Thompson has been running literaly non-stop and posts videos on social media highlighting her policy and concerns. Her Facebook page has 63,000 followers.

She said she'd like to debate Stutzman, but says he has declined multiple invitations and  contends he’s "hiding.”

Thompson has a long list of policy positions on her website, but when talking with constituents, many of her conversations often shift to Donald Trump’s administration and the country's future. 

“This is a battle between good and evil. Every day we wake up, and we hear something else that this administration is doing that can be labeled as nothing other than the opposite of what would Jesus do,” she said. “That's just the truth.”

She said farmers have been slow to embrace her campaign, but that she continues to explain that she would fight for them if elected. She has three meetings with ag groups in the next week or so, she said.

“Everybody says we love farmers. We value our farmers. We need to protect them. But then when we get elected and we go to Washington, D.C., we forget all about them,” Thompson said.

“And our legislators instead legislate in the best interest of big ag instead of the farmers,” she said.

She said the role of Congress is to listen to constituents and then support their priorities.

Stutzman, she said, is not following the wishes of his constituents.

“He goes to Washington, D.C., and he fights for what the president needs. It's out of order. It's a breach of contract. And in my opinion, disqualifies him from the role of representing the people of Indiana's third," she said.

Thompson’s campaign theme, “Running Like a Mother,” is admittedly a double entendre that some find humorous.

She explained her outlook.

“Mothers nurture. We circle the wagons around people when we see danger on the horizon. We give of ourselves to the point of emptying ourselves in order to help other people. It's what I've done my entire life, whether it was the River Coffeehouse and Whitewater Community Services, or even running like a mother now for 18 months.”

The Third District includes all or part of 13 counties, including all or parts of four townships in Kosciusko County. Those include Tippecanoe Township, Turkey Creek Township, Washington Township, and part of Wayne Township.

[caption id="attachment_137115" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Congressional Candidate Kelly Thompson (R) talks with Pierceton resident Ronda Delaluz Sunday afternoon. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_137123" align="aligncenter" width="646"] Congressional Candidate Kelly Thompson (R) maps out a plan Sunday to knock on doors in Pierceton with Kosciusko County Democratic Party Chair Vicki Morton (C) and vice chair Don Guthrie (L). News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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WARSAW — Ongoing efforts to raise money for the Warsaw Community Public Library Improvement Fund will include a special fundraiser at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw.

The Warsaw Friends of the Library will host the "We Love Our Library Fundraiser" from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 22. 

The Improvement Fund was established after Warsaw City Council turned down a $17 million bond issue for major library renovations.

The vote means the library cannot seek another bond issue for two years.

Without an additional influx of money, library officials have said they fear that a breakdown of aging major mechanicals could ultimately lead to a crisis that could force a temporary closure of the library.

The fundraiser theme matches the message on yard signs that appeared ahead of the council's May 14 vote. Many of those signs remain in yards five months later as a silent protest in support of the library.

The library saw a spike in interest in helping the library shortly after the vote, but momentum has faded, said Bree Robinson, a spokesperson for Friends of the Library.

"The donations that we were getting after the bond meeting have really kind of dropped down,” Robinson said.

“We're really seeing that kind of tail off. So we're just hoping this kind of revives some of it and gets people back in the mood of, ‘Oh hey, the library still needs our support,' " Robinson said.

Long term, the Library Board hopes to raise $8.5 million, but for now officials are focused on meeting a $50,000 matching grant opportunity that has a deadline at the end of the year.

“Right now we've got the $13,000 toward it, so we're really hoping to pull in some donations and raise as much as we can to try to meet that goal, she said.

The event will include a silent auction, bingo, live music, food, and a mocktail bar. 

Two specially designed T-shirts will be available in exchange for a $25 donation.

Robinson spoke about the fundraiser following a meeting of the Friends last week.

The meeting attracted about 15 people, some of whom have been with the group since it began ten years ago.

At the same time, the group is seeking more people to get involved, in part to help with working at the weekly book sales at the library.

Robinson said the lack of support has made it difficult to operate the book sale.

To learn more and get involved, click on this link.

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