The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Indiana Senate Bill 255 abolishes county and township assessors, shifts duties to county auditors, and freezes property assessments pending statewide AVM rollout
Last action · January 8, 2026: First reading: referred to Committee on Tax and Fiscal PolicySponsors: Scott Alexander and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
Indiana Senate Bill 255 abolishes the offices of county and township assessor and transfers their assessment duties to county auditors, while also dissolving s and moving township assistance administration to boards of county commissioners, effective July 1, 2026. The legislation freezes tangible property assessments (excluding agricultural land) at 2026 levels starting in 2027 until a new centralized Automated Valuation Model (AVM) system developed by the Department of Local Government Finance becomes operational, capped at no later than 2037. Additionally, the measure caps property tax liability increases at 3% annually for 2029 and thereafter and directs the Department of Transportation to establish cost-reducing inspection standards for local bridges.
- Indiana property tax assessments have historically been managed through a decentralized system involving elected county and township assessors, alongside township trustees who handled local relief and assistance. context
- The Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) acts as the state agency supervising local property taxation, assessment rules, and local government budgets in Indiana. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Property owners in Indiana
Tangible property assessments are frozen at 2026 levels starting in 2027 until the AVM system is implemented, and property tax liability increases are capped at 3% annually starting in 2029.
County auditors
County auditors absorb all powers, duties, employment positions, records, and funds previously held by county and township assessors starting July 1, 2026.
Boards of county commissioners
Boards of county commissioners assume the duties of township trustees and become responsible for administering township assistance countywide beginning January 1, 2027.
Department of Local Government Finance
The department is required to develop and implement a centralized automated valuation model system for statewide property assessment by 2037.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there limits on how much my property taxes can increase under this bill?
Who takes over the responsibilities of county and township assessors?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 8, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst reading: referred to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy
- Jan 8, 2026SenateAuthored by Senators Alexander, Johnson T
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Centralization of Property Assessment and Township Assistance
The legislation represents a major policy shift from decentralized township-level and county-level assessing and trustee administration to consolidated county auditor and county commissioner oversight, paired with state-level automated valuation modeling.
Connected Entities
Sources
iga.in.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 90)
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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