Note to the Press – State Rep. J. Michael Davisson (R-Salem) provided the following statement today regarding a formal request he has submitted to the Washington County Prosecutor's Office and Washington County Circuit Court to dissolve the township of Hardinsburg to ensure government election will take place for his constituents:
STATEHOUSE (Aug. 19, 2022) – “In April of this year, my office received several requests for assistance in the matter surrounding Hardinsburg. The nature of these requests were to assist in determining if Hardinsburg was an incorporated town and if they were compliant with current state law. My findings and appropriate recourse were reported to the Washington County commissioners' public meeting on April 27, 2022. Since that meeting, there has been a lot of public discussion surrounding Hardinsburg and additional details continue to come to light. The central issue at hand is that the town of Hardinsburg has not functioned for at least 10 years per Indiana code because they have not held proper elections of its government. Elections are the foundation of our government and the absence of a free and fair election denies our residents the most basic right. After providing ample opportunity for this election to occur, the town of Hardinsburg has determined they do not have ample funds to hold an election and do not have an ordinance in place giving them the ability to hold an election. Therefore, on Aug. 18, 2022, I formally submitted a request to the Washington County Prosecutor's Office and Washington County Circuit Court to issue an order to dissolve the town of Hardinsburg. This change in the incorporation status of Hardinsburg will have no negative effect on its residents and in fact they will see a decrease in their taxes. Hardinsburg will still be Hardinsburg and it will not disappear from the map. It is my hope that the town will continue to celebrate its identity while working successfully with our county government in the same way many unincorporated towns across Indiana do."
-30-
State Rep. J. Michael Davisson (R-Salem) represents House District 73, which includes
Washington County, and portions of Jackson, Lawrence, Orange, Clark and Harrison counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
