Voters in Ellettsville and Richland Township have approved a proposal to consolidate their local governments, setting the stage for one of the largest changes to local government in Monroe County in years.
The referendum passed with 54.9% support overall.
Voters within existing Ellettsville approved the proposal 1,474 to 978, while voters outside of Ellettsville barely approved it, 1,512 to 1,479, a difference of 33 votes.
Under the approved plan, Richland Township will consolidate into the Town of Ellettsville, expanding the town's boundaries to cover essentially the entire 35-square-mile township.
The township government will eventually be eliminated, with its responsibilities transferred to the reorganized town.
However, residents in rural Richland Township won't immediately receive all the same services or pay all the same taxes as residents of existing Ellettsville.
The plan establishes separate rural and town service districts, allowing some services and tax rates to remain different.
Planning and zoning authority in rural Richland will transfer from Monroe County to Ellettsville. The reorganized town will also take responsibility for roads and become the primary police agency.
Fire protection will largely remain unchanged, as Ellettsville's fire department already serves Richland Township.
The Town Council will expand from five to seven members, while the township's elected trustee and three-member board will eventually disappear.
Township assistance programs will continue through a new department within the reorganized government.
Supporters argued the change would give Richland Township residents more influence over land-use decisions and future development.
Opponents questioned whether the additional representation and services would justify higher property taxes.
A fiscal analysis estimated that a $300,000 home in unincorporated Richland Township would pay approximately $173 more annually under reorganization.
The alternative fire territory, expected to take effect if reorganization failed, was projected to cost that same homeowner approximately $198 more annually.
Those figures are estimates, and individual tax bills will vary.
The reorganized Town of Ellettsville is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, with the transition of services and government responsibilities proceeding under the approved plan.
