County Council to hear updated financial forecast tonight on state tax changes

The Blackford County Council will meet at 6 p.m. tonight, Monday, Sept. 28, at the Blackford County Courthouse. The council will hear an updated financial forecast from the consulting firm Baker Tilly.

No votes are planned.

"It is an information only meeting, there will be no action taken of any kind," Council President JD Beckley said in an email to The Ledger.

The only agenda item is a financial plan from Baker Tilly.

Beckley said Baker Tilly presented a forecast to the county a few years ago.

He said that, "since then, the Indiana General Assembly has made massive changes to how local governments are to be funded and the old data is now useless." Those changes include Senate Enrolled Act 1, signed by Gov. Mike Braun in 2025. It overhauls local income tax (LIT) and property tax rules. A 2026 law, House Enrolled Act 1210, delayed the local income tax changes by one year. New rates now take effect in 2029.

Beckley said the new forecast will explain the updated figures under those state law changes.

"In short, County Council will need to set a new tax rate that affects all local government budgets," he said. "These local units must now negotiate with the County Council on what their budgets require and what tax rate they need."

He said the plan will help the council make decisions.

"The State Legislators have put us all in a tough spot, this financial plan will provide us with important information that can be used to make the best decisions possible given the complicated landscape we've been put in," Beckley said.

The meeting is open to the public. The Ledger will report on the forecast.