The Ellettsville Town Council began selecting its three representatives for the Ellettsville and Richland Township Reorganization Committee at a meeting Monday. The committee will be responsible for drafting the formal plan to reorganize the Town of Ellettsville and Richland Township that is due to the Town Council and Richland Township Trustee board by June 2026.
If voters in both jurisdictions approve the plan in November 2026, the reorganization could take effect Jan. 1, 2027, creating a single local government for the two areas that together cover about 40 square miles.
Town Manager Mike Farmer told the council the township board has already chosen its three members. Richland Township’s committee selections include:
- Dawn Durnil, Richland Township board member
- Kevin Farris, Previous Ellettsville town councilmember
- Scott Reynolds, attorney
Farmer said Ellettsville received about six formal applications, but he had compiled a list of 22 potential names based on public interest, conversations with residents and suggestions from board members. The list of nominations was not shared publicly.
“The good news is we can’t pick everybody, but we’re going to have a lot of good names still for all the subcommittees,” Farmer said.
Two councilmembers pushed back, saying that they had not been given the list or the applications.
“I think I'm a little confused too, if we're voting on people that I don't know or don't know why they've been put in here,” Council Vice President Dan Swafford said. “We're the ones going to make the decision, so we need to be kept in the loop of who's on this list, how many people applied, why we're picking these people, and things like that.”
Swafford and Councilmember Pamela Samples agreed the council should have an opportunity to review applicant backgrounds before voting.
Council President Scott Oldham listed criteria he previously asked Farmer to use when identifying candidates — including experience in managing larger organizations, budgeting expertise, familiarity with government processes and the ability to work with multiple departments.
After several minutes of raised voices and tense back and forth between councilmembers and Farmer over transparency, communication and involvement in the reorganization process, the argument escalated to the point where members shouted over one another, and Farmer slammed the table in frustration.
Ellis and Oldham said they both have communicated with Farmer regularly on who has applied to be on the committee, but Swafford and Samples both said they were not informed of the potential nominees.
Farmer and Swafford clashed over a lack of communication on the nominees. Farmer said Swafford hadn’t called him. Swafford said Farmer hadn’t returned his calls. Oldham asked councilmembers where they wanted to go with the rest of the meeting. After discussion of the committee's tasks, Oldham asked the council if they were ready to make nominations, and Ellis and councilmember Trevor Sager agreed that they were ready to move forward.
Oldham nominated three members from a list provided by Farmer that he believed met his list of criteria. Councilmember William Ellis seconded the motion to vote on the three Oldham nominated from the list.
The committee members voted in by the council Monday evening included:
- William Ellis, Ellettsville town councilmember
- Mike Cornman, former fire chief, former town councilmember, current volunteer fireman
- Andrew Henry, owner of Henry Holsters LLC, Ellettsville Redevelopment Commission vice president
Once the seven-member committee is finalized — three appointed by the town, three by the township and one jointly selected — it will form multiple subcommittees to address areas such as public safety, utilities, zoning, parks and finances.
The committee must submit a complete reorganization plan to both governing boards by June. If both boards approve it, the plan will go to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance for legal review before appearing on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide.
“The democratic process of voting will decide whether this is a go-er,” Farmer said.
The council also unanimously approved a purchase agreement with MacQueen Equipment LLC for one Pierce Enforcer PUC pumper truck for the Ellettsville Fire Department. The truck will cost $1,297,300.
A second resolution authorized the financing agreement required for the truck. Farmer said PNC Bank will assist with the financing and that the chief or town manager is authorized to sign the necessary loan documents.
Oldham said that Richland Township’s established fire contract with the town will cover the payments, although the truck will be titled to the Town of Ellettsville.
The council approved a transfer of $1,200 from the general fund’s office supplies budget to pay members of the Redevelopment Commission, which oversees redevelopment of land, infrastructure and economic development.
Clerk Treasurer Noelle Conyer said the adjustment was needed because earlier appropriations placed money in the wrong category. The general fund will still have more than $6,000 remaining after the transfer.
The council passed its 2026 salary ordinance for each town employee on second reading, which included no salary increases for town employees.
Farmer said the town chose not to issue raises for the town’s workforce in anticipation of potential revenue decreases projected for 2028 due to Senate Enrolled Act 1 — a law that restricts local governments’ ability to raise revenue through property taxes — even though some workers “did deserve” raises.
