MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

• HB 1055 would give all cities and towns the option to adopt an ordinance that would move municipal elections to the presidential election cycle.
• Aim opposes any attempt to erode the municipal election cycle because holding municipal elections on a separate year from state and national elections ensures that local issues are front and center in those elections and they are not overshadowed by national issues or distorted by straight-ticket votes that are more common with up-ballot races.
• HB 1055, authored by Rep. Jennifer Meltzer (R-Shelbyville), passed the House Elections and Apportionment committee on Wednesday with a vote of 9-3.

COMMUNITY CROSSINGS

• Many municipalities were concerned about the lack of CCMG funding that was awarded to Indiana’s cities and towns in the fall of 2025. This unprecedented lack of funding set back infrastructure improvement plans in many communities throughout the state.
• SB 179 would allow for an additional $75 million call for projects in the spring on 2026 reserved for those communities that did not receive funding in the fall of 2025 call.
• Aim supports this bill as it helps ease the transition to the new CCMG formula without disrupting expected infrastructure investments throughout the state.
• SB 179, authored by Sen. Mike Crider (R-Greenfield), passed the Senate Homeland Security and Transportation committee on Tuesday with a vote of 9-0.

HOUSING

• HB 1001 creates broad new preemptions around local authority to plan and zone housing projects in an attempt to compel higher-density development strategies and lower costs for housing developers.
• It also includes new restrictions on impact fees, which are used to defray the infrastructure costs associated with increased residential development in a community.
• Cities and towns are primary partners and drivers of housing development in the state which has seen a significant uptick since 2020, even in rural areas, due in large part to investments and development-friendly strategies employed by municipalities within their existing authority. Aim opposes large-scale preemption of planning and zoning authority but supports ways that the state, municipalities, and developers can partner to grow and develop our state.
• HB 1001, authored by Rep. Doug Miller (R-Elkhart), will be heard next Tuesday in the House Local Government committee after having been delayed a week to give stakeholders, including municipalities, time to work to improve the language. Aim members should watch their inboxes for an Action Alert with a specific call to action on this preemption bill.

GOVERNMENT MODERNIZATION

• Aim has been engaged in ongoing conversations with the legislature around opportunities to modernize the provision of local government services and reduce layers of property tax burden for taxpayers.
• Part of this conversation has involved the modernization of township government, especially in areas that are already well-served by municipal or county services.
• HB 1315 provides new pathways to consolidate townships that have low service delivery loads and provides processes to reorganize townships that are coterminous with municipalities to ensure the most efficient service delivery at the lowest cost for taxpayers
• Aim will continue to work with the legislature to allow government modernization efforts to proceed intelligently and intentionally to best serve Hoosiers.
• HB 1315, authored by Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler (R-Noblesville), passed the House Local Government committee on Tuesday with a vote of 9-3.

Listen to more about this week on the fourth episode of the 2025 Market Street to Main Street Podcast Series, Aim’s legislative episodes of the Hometown Innovations Podcast and a supplement to this e-newsletter. In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Matt to discuss the week at the General Assembly and what we expect in to see in this quick, short Session.

To listen to Market Street to Main Street, please visit The Terminal post and click the “play button” on the audio player. Or you can subscribe to Aim Hometown Innovations Podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.