Deadline extended for government, school budgets

By Rick Yencer, Star Press

ryencer@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE -- Local government and schools received a break on Friday, as state officials extended until Dec. 1 the deadline for adoption of 2009 budgets and tax levies.

The traditional deadline of Sept. 30 was waived by Cheryl Musgrave, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, to give local officials more time to obtain information regarding property assessments, school enrollment and other data used to calculate local budgets.

Musgrove specifically cited continued delays in property assessment changing to a market value system, along with the impact of tax caps and other changes in House Bill 1001, which made other changes in state property taxation.