VINCENNES - The Vincennes City Council passed a resolution in opposition to Senate Bill 1 in a 4-3 vote Monday evening.
Mayor Joe Yochum introduced the resolution, stating that this initiative is through Accelerating Indiana Municipalities, where he sits on the board of directors. Yochum said that if SB1 is passed as is in its initial form, it would affect the city of Vincennes with a budget cut of more than $2 million projected.
SB 1 is aimed at property taxes relief, looking at first-time home buyer credit, farmland assignments, amending the maximum levy growth quotient and more. A full description of SB1 can be found at iga.in.gov/legislative/2025/bills/senate/1/details.
Opposition of SB1 is also supported by Indiana Township Association, Association of Indiana Counties, Indiana County Commissioners, Indiana State Boards Association, Professional Firefighter Union, Indiana County Councils Association and more according to Yochum.
"All taxing units in the state will be affected by this," Yochum said. "This (resolution) is basically saying we don't support Senate Bill 1 in its form, that they need to come up with a plan that helps replace those dollars lost.
"This is just to get out in front of it (SB1) and let our legislators know that communities are going to be really hurt by this."
Yochum added that since tax caps were put in place, departments had to cut back, such as the street department going from 38 to 17 employees, and the parks department down to three employees.
Council president Brian Grove disagreed, stating that he does not like these kinds of resolutions because it is telling elected legislators that they (the council) don't agree with what is happening.
"I agree with what they are doing, they are working to lower our taxes," Grove said.
Grove also added that SB1 is not in "any shape or form the way it was when it was presented." In the bill's original form, Grove said he would have opposed it, but the way SB1 came out of committee and the Senate is, "just a shell of what it was."
"It's way too early for us to be telling them 'don't work on this,'" Grove said.
Grove said the people knew that Gov. Mike Braun ran on the platform of lowering property taxes and was still elected, and that he does not support overstepping and voting in opposition to a bill.
Council member Richard Ashby said that he heard Gov. Mike Braun state that he would get SB1 to the way he originally presented lowering property taxes, and that cities would have to prove cuts are affecting them before working with those affected.
As of Feb. 17, Braun shared to X, formerly Twitter, stating that “I am open to a discussion balancing the cost pressures from inflation on local government services with tax relief for homeowners, but we can’t lose sight of the fact homeowners have been crushed by inflation in assessed values while local governments have seen a windfall in revenue well beyond inflation. This bill has a long way to go before it gets my signature, and restoring meaningful tax cuts would be a step in the right direction.”
Council member Ryan Lough said he read through the bill multiple times and agreed with Grove. Lough said he thinks the Senate and House are working hard to do their best for the people, including first-time home owners, veterans and more, and that they should "let them hammer it out and do their job as part of what they need to do."
Council member Ed Gornall proposed the question of what is wrong with sending the message that with the way the bill is currently laid out, they would want an alternative to make up funds that end up being cut, adding that he called representatives to voice his opinion.
Grove, who also reached out to legislators as an elected official, said he did not want his signature on a resolution opposing lowering taxes, but if others are familiar with SB1 and disapprove of it, then that's their vote, "everybody has their own."
The resolution opposing SB1 passed in a 4-3 vote, with council members Grove, Lough and John Stangle voting no, while council members Marc McNeece, Regina Blinn, Ashby and Gornall voted yes.
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