What is a Trustee and Why Do They Matter - Understanding Your Township Government
Township Government
Township government has been around for a long time. In Indiana, a township governenment covers every part of the state. Indiana has around 1,000 townships. The townships broadly are tasked with providing daily services and emergency support of its residents. This level of government is mean to be a very grassroots, close to the ground, level of government to make it easier to represent and work with its residents.
The Trustee Role - The Executive
Leading the charge of the township government is the Trustee. The trustee is the executive part of the township government, similar in function to the president, governor and mayors at their respective levels. The trustee acts as the Chief Financial Officer and Executive for the township. They serve the community in 4 year terms.
Key Responsibilities
Township Assistance Programs
The township trustee oversees assistance programs that act as safety nets for its residents in case of emergencies. These programs span across many issues from rental assistance, food assistance, medicine and more. The trustee should be at the center of a web of not only assistance programs provided by the township but also related organizations dedicated to helping and or providing resources as well. If the township doesn’t provide for something directly then the trustee should work with other organizations to help point you in the right direction and look to where we can close the gap on how we help our residents.
Fire Protection and Emergency Services
Fire protection and emergency services are vital areas of responsibility for the trustee. This is true for a couple of reasons. Fire protection and emergency services directly save lives of the residents and additionally constitutes a large part of the annual budget. For the Westfield Washington Township this is accomplished through contracting services and build agreements that when combined account for more than half the annual budget, which in 2025 was just over $4 Million.
Cemetary Maintenance
Township trustees in Indiana are responsible for caring for public and abandoned historic cemeteries within their township, which includes mowing, weed control, and resetting monuments to preserve safety and respect for the site. These duties help maintain historic resources, prevent hazards, and ensure that burial grounds remain accessible and dignified for families and the community.
Parks and Community Programs
Township trustees are responsible for maintaining local parks, ensuring safe, accessible green spaces for residents and coordinating upkeep, improvements, and funding for facilities. In Westfield, that includes caring for MacGregor Park, this means managing trails, playgrounds, and landscaping, scheduling maintenance, and working with volunteers and township resources to keep the park welcoming and well-maintained for families and community events.
Admin and Civil duties
Township officials in Indiana often help mediate fence-line disputes between neighbors by providing information on property lines, local ordinances, and options for amicable resolution. They also coordinate responses to detrimental weeds through enforcement of nuisance laws and assistance with removal or reporting, and many township offices offer notary services to certify documents for residents.
Township Board - The Legislature
The township board in Indiana exists to provide local oversight, fiscal stewardship, and accountability for services that directly affect residents’ daily lives. It ensuring resources are allocated efficiently, legally, and in line with community needs. Its role complements other local government bodies by focusing on budget approval, policy direction, and oversight of township services to maintain transparency and responsiveness at the closest level of government. The board members also serve a 4 year term just like the trustee and act as a check on the trustee by approving contract and budgets as well as auditing reports.
Key Responsibilities
Budget and Taxes
Contract Approvals
The township board is responsible for reviewing, negotiating, and approving contracts that affect township operations and services, ensuring they align with legal requirements, budgetary constraints, and community needs; this includes vendor agreements, service contracts, intergovernmental arrangements, and employment-related contracts. Board members evaluate terms for fiscal responsibility and public benefit, require clear scopes of work and performance metrics, and often seek competitive bids or quotes to promote transparency and cost-effectiveness. Approved contracts are recorded in official minutes and subject to state statutes and local policies, with the board retaining authority to audit performance, enforce compliance, and terminate agreements when necessary to protect township interests.
The Board is responsible for adopting the annual township budget, setting the tax rates, and establishing tax levies some restrictions for amounts changed annually are set by the state but the township can also seek exceptions if needed.
Salary Oversight
Township boards in Indiana are responsible for overseeing and approving township employee salaries and compensation policies, ensuring pay scales align with state statutes and budgetary constraints; they review and authorize payroll expenditures, set salaries for appointed township officials when applicable, and must approve any changes to compensation during budget hearings or through official board action, maintaining transparency and fiscal responsibility to township residents.
Financial Auditing
Township boards in Indiana are responsible for overseeing the financial affairs of the township, which includes reviewing and approving annual budgets, examining township trustee accounts, and ensuring expenditures comply with state law. They must inspect records, certify the accuracy of reports, and vote to allow settlement of the trustee’s accounts before claims are paid. Boards also play a key role in arranging or conducting audits when required, responding to audit findings, and implementing internal controls to protect township funds and promote transparent, accountable use of public resources.
Why The Township Government Matters
Township government matters because it directly manages services and budgets that affect daily life. The roads, emergency services, zoning, and especially property tax oversight where relatively small decisions can produce sizable financial impacts for residents are where we see the direct impact of the township actions and decisions. Properly utilizing township structures and ensuring transparent, accountable leadership protects against misuse of funds and power, ensures equitable representation, and preserves local control so community priorities are addressed efficiently. When township officials are competent, proactive and responsive, taxpayers get better value, stronger safeguards, and a clearer voice in government at every level.
Financial Impact
Your township government manages millions of your tax dollars. For example, in 2025, Westfield Washington Township's estimated budget is over $4.1 million. The township provides you with some of the most direct, vital and closest services a resident should expect. Given the sizable amount of money being managed it is paramount that people in office are pushing to squeeze every bit of value out of those tax dollars to provide for the residents of the township.
Risks and Considerations
Because township government is highly localized with little day-to-day state oversight, the integrity of the Trustee and the diligence of the Board are the only things preventing financial abuse. When Boards act as rubber stamps instead of watchdogs, taxpayer money disappears.
Real World Examples
Calumet Township (Jan 2025): A Trustee stepped down after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
Union Township (2024): A State Board of Accounts (SBOA) investigation revealed the Trustee funneled over $240,000 of township funds to his own private LLC without disclosing the conflict of interest to the Board.
Ross Township: A Trustee successfully sued by the state after overpaying his own salary by $19,800, overpaying his wife's salary, and paying his stepson thousands to mow cemeteries.
Black Township: Poor relief funds were secretly used by the Trustee to pay her own personal mortgage and fund riverboat gambling.
Westfield Washington Township (2023): Right here at home, a recent SBOA audit cited the former Trustee for receiving $6,000 in unauthorized compensation bonuses and $1,416 in salary overpayments that the Board had not properly approved via the Form 17 salary resolution. She also unlawfully drew simultaneous salaries from the Township fund and a county emergency grant.
What Do We Bring To The Table
True Checks and Balances - Jeff will NOT rubber stamp any process and or expense. Jeff will work with the board to make sure that the township is proactive in its transparency and accountability .
Data Driven Decisions - Jeff will ensure that the full impact of a decision is explored, shown and considered for decisions related to the township.
Community - Jeff will work with the residents of the township to build connections and a stronger sense of connection within the township.
Assistance Accessibility - Jeff will ensure the township assistance funds are effectively used to help our residents in need and connect with related organizations to build a network of helpers. We are all humans and deserve for our dignity to be respected.
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