Inside the Township: Indiana's most local form of government hides in plain Sight

Across Indiana, 1,008 townships cover every corner of the state, each governed by a Township Trustee — the largest single group of elected officials in Indiana. Like most elected officials, a trustee serves a four-year term, but the role itself remains one of the least understood in local government.

Indiana law requires Township Trustees to provide essential services to the residents and businesses within their township. These duties include fire protection and ambulance service for areas of the township not incorporated into a city or town, Poor relief distribution, which is a primary duty in many townships, and Cemetery care and burial assistance when no other means of payment is available.

Assisting the trustee is a three-member Township Board, which adopts the annual budget, serves as a board of finance, and approves township contracts. Township boards must meet at least annually, though they often convene more frequently to review financial reports and approve expenditures.

Terry Borggren has served as West Township Trustee for 21 years, following 11 years as a Township Board member — giving him more than three decades of experience in township government. During an interview on GIANT fm WTCA's What's Your Opinion Show, Borggren shared insights into the day-to-day realities of the role.

One point of pride Borggren has is that West Township is the only township in Marshall County that does not impose a tax levy on either the Township Fund or the Township Assistance Fund. Borggren said their only levies are for Fire and EMS and the Cumulative Fire Fund.

Borggren conducts West Township meetings at his home, where he maintains an office for township business. The state allows trustees to receive compensation for their home office space. He also maintains a separate cell phone for township business through a Verizon business account at the lowest available rate.

Borggren's wife, Tammy, serves as deputy clerk for West Township, a position she was grandfathered into under Indiana Code. Because she is the spouse and the office is located in their home, state law limits her compensation to $5,000 per year.

The annual salary for the West Township Trustee is set by the Township Board. Borggren currently earns $23,978, with incremental raises tied to those given by the city and council. He noted that West Township's trustee pay ranks fourth among townships in Marshall County.

Three years ago, West Township created and filed a Capital Improvement Plan with the State Board of Accounts to responsibly manage the township's excess cash balances. The plan outlines a multi-year vision for improvements, including the West Memorial Park enhancements at S.R. 17 and Sycamore Road with sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, retaining wall replacement, and more.  The township plan also includes the acquisition of fire equipment, cemetery restoration, tornado sirens and weather monitors along with the potential assistance with a new fire station.

Borggren emphasized that these improvements are planned over several years, ensuring the township's cash balances are used properly and directly benefit the community they serve.

Township government may be the most local form of government in Indiana, but its impact is measured in very real services: the firefighter who responds to a rural call, the burial assistance that honors a resident in their final passage, the poor relief that helps a family through a hard season. Trustees like Borggren operate quietly, often from home offices and with modest budgets, yet the services they provide touch nearly every Hoosier in some way.

Understanding who your Township Trustee is — and what they do — is the first step in understanding the most grassroots level of Indiana government.