Episode Details

With mandatory township mergers set to roll out across Indiana as early as next year, one northern Indiana official is warning that local governments are unprepared for the political and financial shock that is coming. Jason Critchlow, the elected trustee of Portage Township in St. Joseph County, told Indy Politics that roughly one-third of the state’s more than 1,000 townships are expected to be forced to merge under legislation already on the books. He argued that while consolidation may sound simple in theory, the reality on the ground—especially around fire protection and emergency medical services—is far more complex.