Vernon Brown

Candidate Q&A

How do you plan to reach out to constituents about what their needs are?

As Trustee, I previously developed a website and informational brochures outlining the services provided by this office. In addition, the township maintains a website, and we have distributed brochures to ensure residents are informed about available assistance and resources. warrentownshiptrustee.org

What is the top issue your township is facing and how would you address it as trustee?

Over the past two years, our office has experienced a 40% increase in client contacts. The most significant issues facing our residents are evictions and the need for economic development—areas in which the Trustee’s Office has limited direct authority. Despite these limitations, I continue to advocate for rent control measures and health inspections for all rental properties in Warren Township, consistent with federal guidelines and Indiana code. We remain committed to providing assistance to those in need.

Considering the expected declines in revenue because of property tax cuts, how would you manage your office’s budget?

The 2007 Fire Consolidation Agreement between then Trustee Jeff Bennett and Mayor Bart Peterson, provided a significant benefit to Warren Township residents. But we see adverse impacts to the township because the agreement capped our local income tax revenue at one-third of the 2007 total, with the remaining two-thirds allocated to the City of Indianapolis. As a result, there has been no growth in income tax revenue for Warren Township over the past 19 years. Combined with reductions in property tax revenue, this has required us to rethink how we operate. While we continue to fund emergency assistance at the appropriate levels, we have realigned staffing, processes, and procedures to maintain efficient operations within our financial constraints.

For the past two years, we have negotiated with the City, the Mayor, and the City-County Council to secure a cost-of-living increase to the 2007 agreement. These efforts have been unsuccessful. I plan to continue to advocate for a fair share of income tax revenue generated by Warren Township residents to be reinvested in Warren Township, instead of downtown.

I will ABSOLUTELY NEVER advocate for any tax increase that places an additional burden on Warren Township residents. We will continue negotiating with the City of Indianapolis and the City-County Council for our fair share of the income taxes that we, the residents of Warren Township, paid.

Should township government be consolidated, or should specific services be consolidated, to better manage resources and save taxpayer money?

Absolutely. Township government was established over 150 years ago, during a time when transportation was limited to horses and buggies and communication was primarily face-to-face. The system is long overdue for revision and modernization. Through thoughtful revision, taxpayer dollars can be saved and those funds can be directed toward services for those in need, rather than administrative overhead across 9 layers of government.

In the last 2 years, our contacts have increased 40%. To meet the growing demand for services, we have already implemented the township website, expanded communication efforts, community outreach events, evening hours, and modified office hours. These efforts will continue as we adapt to better serve the residents of Warren Township.