Blackford County Tax Forecast Shows Post-2030 Budget Squeeze

From the Blackford County Council Special Meeting meeting on September 28, 2026

Blackford County officials were told Sept. 28 that the county's current income-tax setup looks workable for the next few years, but the state tax-law framework discussed in recent county finance meetings could leave county operations short after 2030.

The outside presenter, Jason Semler, representing Baker Tilly told council the county now receives about $4.2 million from its local income-tax rates and is projected to receive about $4.4 million next year under Indiana Department of Local Government Finance estimates. Under the future structure, the county's 1.2% general-service rate would bring in only about $4.0 million, Jason said, which would not replace current collections. The forecast discussed a structural gap of roughly $800,000, and Jason said Blackford County gets "hit pretty hard" once the new rules fully take hold around 2030. The warning follows an Aug. 26 countywide meeting called to discuss how SEA 1 could affect local budgets starting in 2028 and 2029.

Jason said some county funds stay steady for now. The public safety income-tax fund was projected to finish 2029 with about $2.7 million, enough to cover 2030 for one year even if no new revenue flowed into that fund, but the model then showed a roughly $656,000 shortfall in 2031. He also said the LIT/PSAP fund was trending toward depletion by about 2032, and that the EMS fund is growing now but will need close watching when the 2027 budget adds a second ambulance. The general fund was described as strong in the near term, with a projected balance of more than $4.7 million, before other costs start rolling into it after 2030. Circuit-breaker losses cited in the meeting were $576,000 in 2024, $540,000 in 2025, and about $760,000 in 2026.

Council and Jason also discussed whether some narrower restricted funds could be folded into the general fund where the law allows, so money is not trapped in separate buckets while pressure builds elsewhere. The discussion referenced special funds tied to jail, courthouse, health, and other purposes, and noted that simplifying those accounts could make bookkeeping easier for Auditor Lisa Simmons. Participants also mentioned a $1 million building-related line still left in the model because they were unsure whether that expense would fall this year or next year. No formal vote on fund restructuring was clearly preserved in the meeting record reviewed.

Source: YouTube transcript — Blackford County County Council Special Meeting September 28, 2026

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.