STATEHOUSE (Jan. 27, 2026) – State Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler (R-Noblesville) authored legislation to modernize local government by reorganizing certain townships to improve efficiency and streamline layers of government while protecting essential services.
"Indiana's township system was created for a very different era, and in many parts of the state it no longer reflects how services are delivered or how communities function today," Shonkwiler said. "This legislation is about modernization. It provides a thoughtful, locally-driven framework to reorganize certain townships where services are duplicative or misaligned with current population and service needs."
House Bill 1315 would consolidate shrinking townships to improve service delivery, remove unnecessary overhead costs and ensure efficient, reliable and transparent local government operations.
Her legislation addresses duplicate layers of government and establishes plans for merging townships under certain conditions, including if the township serves a population less than 6,700, if it does not operate a township fire department and if annual employee salaries are twice as much as the amount of assistance distributed by the township.
Of the estimated 1,000 townships in Indiana, this bill is expected to impact approximately 200. A majority of townships gave out less than $3,000 in public assistance in 2024.
House Bill 1315 passed the House Ways and Means Committee and now moves to the House floor for consideration. To learn more and follow session, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler (R-Noblesville) represents House District 29,
which includes a portion of Hamilton County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
