Hartford City Introduces $8 Million Bond for Final Sewer Overflow Phase

From the Hartford City Common Council special meeting on April 13, 2026

Hartford City Common Council introduced an ordinance authorizing up to $8 million in sewage works revenue bonds to fund the fourth and final phase of the city's combined sewer overflow abatement program.

Ordinance 2026-05, presented at a special session on April 13, would finance Phase 4 of the CSO project — a set of sewer system upgrades — following recent emergency sewer infrastructure repairs — required under a legally binding agreement with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, originally signed in 2008. The project itself is estimated at $7 to $7.5 million, with extra borrowing capacity providing a cushion if construction bids come in high.

The bonds would carry an interest rate capped at 8% and mature no later than 22 years after issuance. They are payable solely from sewage works net revenues — not property taxes. With this final phase, total CSO-related debt across all four phases will reach approximately $25 million. A sewer rate increase implemented in 2025, effective in 2026, was put in place to maintain required debt coverage ratios ahead of this borrowing.

The city is evaluating three financing options: private placement with local banks, an open market sale, or the Indiana Bond Bank's Community Focused Resource program for communities with bonds under $10 million.

A public hearing and second reading are scheduled for the May 4 council meeting. Mayor Dan Eckstein opted to hold the hearing voluntarily — it is not legally required under the state consent order. Because the bonds are mandated by that order, there is no remonstrance period, meaning residents cannot legally block the issuance.

The May 4 public hearing is residents' last opportunity to ask questions before the council takes a final vote on the city's largest financial action of 2026.

Source: YouTube transcript — 4/13/26 Hartford City Special Council Meeting

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.