One township trustee in Wayne County encourages residents who are concerned about potentially losing the closest layer of local government to contact their lawmakers.
Jackson Township Trustee Lyndon Wicker said approval of Indiana House Bill 1315 in its current form could lead to closure of the township’s office in downtown Cambridge City, and most other township offices around the state.
Wicker said he’s concerned that rural residents would have to travel several miles to seek help, because he expects that county governments would take over township duties.
“My fear is my friends and neighbors would be just another number in a long line of others seeking help,” Wicker said.
Indiana Township Association says trustees are the largest homelessness prevention system in the state, providing temporary, targeted and accountable assistance.
Township trustees provide temporary poverty relief and emergency assistance for rent, mortgages, utilities and burial assistance. They help those who can’t manage their Social Security or Supplemental Security Income because of age, disability or other circumstances.
Trustees are also responsible for funding township fire departments and ensuring fire coverage where cities don’t provide it. And, they maintain and preserve cemeteries that include veterans’ graves and local history.
Wayne County has 15 townships, which each have a trustee and a three-member board. All those positions are on the May primary election ballot. Democrats and Republicans have until noon Friday, Feb. 6, to register.
Wicker said residents benefit from local service. Last Saturday, on the holiday weekend, he went to the office to make a phone call, and took a call late the day before from a person needing quick attention for a pressing matter. Wicker said if most township offices disappear, it likely would have been Tuesday until the resident could speak with someone.
In recent years, Indiana Township Association has advised Wicker, an active member, to expect upcoming changes to township government.
Wicker’s reaction is mixed. As a taxpayer and a conservative, he agrees with government streamlining. However, he said he has great empathy for those in need, and he has done things to support local towns and entities within his township since taking office that likely wouldn’t be possible if the township goes away.
Wicker said he believes all 15 Wayne County township leaders would say they’re needed, but realistically, he’s not sure.
He encourages residents to contact their state senators and representatives to show support for Senate Bill 270, which Indiana Township Association is backing. Readers can look up their elected officials` contact information at wwn.to/findlegislator.
SB 270 would merge townships based on a points system, so several townships would remain in rural areas. The scoring process would be up to Indiana’s Department of Local Government Finance with the final call made at the county level, Wicker said.
If HB 1315 is passed, Wicker said Jackson Township would likely dissolve, but it might survive under SB 270.
Wicker said his office is active and provides many services, so he believes it would score well for SB 270.
If additional work is shifted to Jackson Township from nearby townships, he said he and the township board would deal with extra responsibilities. Or, they’d deal with the closing of their office if its work shifted to another township or to Wayne County.
“We are all here to serve the residents to the best of our ability,” Wicker said. “That’s our job.”
Besides encouraging public support of townships through area media and his Indiana Township Association membership, Wicker said the decision is mostly out of his hands.
“Regardless of my township’s future, I will do what I am asked to do in order to carry out the responsibilities of my office,” he said.
A version of this article appeared in the January 28 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.