Position Description

A constitutional officer, elected for a term of four (4) years, but is prohibited from serving more than eight (8) years within 12 years. The office of the secretary of state consists of four (4) divisions: Administration, Elections, Securities and Business Services.

Responsibilities

• Certifying and keeping permanent records of official state documents
• Keeping the state constitution and state seal
• Chairman of the State Recount Commission
• Member of Code Revision Commission, Oversight Committee on Public Records and Indiana Corporate Law Survey Committee

Position Description

The chief investment officer (CIO) and custodian of all state revenues. Elected for a term of four (4) years, but is prohibited from serving more than eight (8) years within 12 years.

Responsibilities

• Discretionary power to invest the state general fund and more than 77 trust funds
• Member of the state Board of Finance, Indiana Finance Authority, Indiana Transportation Finance Authority, State Office Building Commission, Recreational Development Commission, Indiana grand Indemnity Fund Board, Indiana Underground Storage Tank Financial Assurance Board and the Indiana Heritage Trust Committee
• Vice-Chairman of the Indiana Housing Finance Authority and trustee of the Indiana State Police Pension Fund
• Chairman of the Indiana Bond Bank, Indiana Education Saving Authority and Indiana Institute for Public Funds Management
• Public Deposit Insurance Fund/Board for Depositories- serves as the board secretary, investment manager and directing the day-to-day operations of the board

Position Description

The chief financial officer (CFO) of the state of Indiana and is elected for a term of four (4) years, but is prohibited from serving more than eight (8) years within 12 years.

Responsibilities

• Accounting for all of the state’s funds
• Overseeing and disbursing county, city, town and school tax distributions
• Paying the state’s bills
• Paying state employees
• Administrator of the Indiana Deferred Compensation Plan
• Serves as the secretary of the Board of Finance
• Member of the State Office Building Commission and the Board for Depositories

Position Description

The 50 members of the State Senate, which make up one of the two chambers of the Indiana General Assembly or the legislative branch of government, half (1/2) are elected every two (2) years. Senators must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Indiana at least two (2) years, and an inhabitant of the county or district for at least one (1) year.

The Indiana General Assembly has broad powers to enact laws that directly affect the daily lives of Indiana citizens. These powers are restricted only by the U.S. Constitution, federal laws and the Indiana Constitution. Section 16 of Article 4 of the state constitution spells out the general grant of powers to the legislature as follows: “Each House shall have all powers necessary for a branch of the legislative department of a free and independent state.”

General Powers

• Decrees types of taxes and rates levied on citizens and businesses
• Create and abolish agencies of state government
• Approves the state budget
• Prescribes procedure for nomination and elections of state and local government officials
• Sets rules for operation for counties, cities, towns and townships
• Authorize or prohibit various types of local taxes
• Determines distribution of tax funds for schools, highways and other purposes

Specific Powers

• Power to deprive any person convicted of an infamous crime of the right of suffrage
• Power to provide by law for the election of all judges of courts of general and appellate jurisdictions at elections to be held for such officers only
• Power of either house to punish its members for disorderly behavior and, by two-thirds vote, to expel a member
• Power of either house to punish by imprisonment any person not a member of the legislature who is found guilty of disrespect to the house by disorderly and contemptuous behavior
• Power by joint vote of both houses, in the event of a tie, to vote between candidates for governor and for lieutenant governor
• Power to impeach any state officer for crime, incapacity or negligence, either by a joint resolution or through an impeachment proceeding brought by the House of Representatives and tried by the Senate

Position Description

The 100 members of the House of Representatives, which make up one of the two chambers of the Indiana General Assembly or the legislative branch of government, are elected every two (2) years to a two (2) year term. Representatives must be at least 21 years old, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Indiana at least two (2) years, and an inhabitant of the county or district for at least one (1) year.

The Indiana General Assembly has broad powers to enact laws that directly affect the daily lives of Indiana citizens. These powers are restricted only by the U.S. Constitution, federal laws and the Indiana Constitution. Section 16 of Article 4 of the state constitution spells out the general grant of powers to the legislature as follows: “Each House shall have all powers necessary for a branch of the legislative department of a free and independent state.”

General Powers

• Decrees types of taxes and rates levied on citizens and businesses
• Create and abolish agencies of state government
• Approves the state budget
• Prescribes procedure for nomination and elections of state and local government officials
• Sets rules for operation for counties, cities, towns and townships
• Authorize or prohibit various types of local taxes
• Determines distribution of tax funds for schools, highways and other purposes

Specific Powers

• Power to deprive any person convicted of an infamous crime of the right of suffrage
• Power to provide by law for the election of all judges of courts of general and appellate jurisdictions at elections to be held for such officers only
• Power of either house to punish its members for disorderly behavior and, by two-thirds vote, to expel a member
• Power of either house to punish by imprisonment any person not a member of the legislature who is found guilty of disrespect to the house by disorderly and contemptuous behavior
• Power by joint vote of both houses, in the event of a tie, to vote between candidates for governor and for lieutenant governor
• Power to impeach any state officer for crime, incapacity or negligence, either by a joint resolution or through an impeachment proceeding brought by the House of Representatives and tried by the Senate

Position Description

Superior Courts have been created as needed by the Indiana General Assembly to augment the circuit courts. For the most part, they have the same powers as, and share cases with, the circuit courts, which include the power to try any kind of case and take appeals from judgment rendered in city courts and town courts.

Position Description

The County Assessor is elected for a term of four (4)years and may be re-elected without limit. This official functions under the direction of the Department of Local Government Finance. The County Assessor oversees a general reassessment in the county and serves as secretary of the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals (PTABOA), which hears appeals on real estate and personal property assessments.

Responsibilities

• Perform functions assigned by statute
• Real estate assessments: residential, agricultural, utility, state, exempt, church, USA, industrial, commercial, cemetery
• Continual reassessment, appeals, spring measuring, deeds, sales disclosures, abatement, exemptions, mapping for reassessment, inheritance tax, building permits, PTABOA, and trending
• Perform functions of Township Trustee-Assessor under certain conditions
• Level 2 certification, continuing education
• Mobile home personal property assessments
• Personal property tax forms: amended forms, penalties, utility, farms, personal, business, and exemptions
• Certify values to state for compliance
• County Land Valuations Committee

Position Description

A constitutional officer, elected for a term of four (4) years, but is prohibited from serving more than eight (8) years within 12 years.

Responsibilities

• Attend, either in person or through a deputy, sessions of the circuit court and any other county courts
• Filing, recording and entering orders pertaining to civil, juvenile and criminal matters
• Issuing testamentary letters, letters of administration and letters of guardianship
• Serving ex officio as a member and secretary of the county election board and the county commission on public records
• Appoint the other members of the county election board; these appointment are made from nominations from the county chairman from each of the two (2) major political parties
• Receive filing of candidacy for certain elective offices and issue certificates of election to successful local candidates, except judges who receive commissions from the governor
• May also serve on board of voter registration, if not a candidate for office
• Issue marriage licenses, files petitions and retains birth certificates records and send copies to the department of health
• Pays out support monies and issues receipts in dependency cases
• Administers oaths to appointed officers

Position Description

As a constitutional officer, a prosecutor is elected in each judicial circuit for a term of four (4) years. The office is not strictly a county office, because the prosecutor is elected for a judicial circuit in the same manner as a judge and must be a practicing attorney. The prosecutor represents the state of Indiana and prosecutes violators of state statutes in various courts with criminal jurisdiction.

Position Description

Records, maintains and preserves permanent public records involving over 130 different types of documents and was the first Constitutional Office in County Government in the State of Indiana. The Recorder is elected for a term of four (4) years, but is prohibited from serving more than eight (8) years within 12 years.

Responsibilities

• Preserve public records by recording documents either for giving legal public notice or for safekeeping and future reference and retrieval
• Maintain the legal basis for determining ownership and forming the foundation of private property
• Makes a complete, accurate, and permanent record of every document pertaining to the conveyance and encumbrance of land to be recorded within the county
• Retain records in archival form and make them accessible to the public

Position Description

A constitutional officer and is elected to a term of four (4) years. The Sheriff is prohibited from serving more than two (2) terms within 12 years.

Responsibilities

• Serve as conservator of the peace
• Serve warrants, subpoenas and other forms of process as an officer of the courts
• Collect delinquent state income taxes
• Sell mortgaged property under foreclosure execute deeds to real estate sold under execution
• Attend sessions of the county council and execute its orders
• Serve processes for the county board of review
• Attend meetings of the board of county commissioners and execute its orders
• Oversee the county jail and prisoners

Position Description

A constitutional officer and is elected to a term of four (4) years. The Treasurer is prohibited from serving more than two (2) terms within 12 years.

Responsibilities

• Collects, retains and disburses county funds
• Tax collection
• Member of the county board of finance, treasurer ex officio of the county board of education and treasurer to the board of hospital trustees

Position Description

Three (3) county residents are elected for a term of four (4) years on a staggered basis.

Responsibilities

• Administration of the county business, including buildings, property, roads
• Hold monthly meetings
• Maintain a courthouse, public offices for elected officials and a jail
• Auditing county books
• Establish township boundaries
• Issue bonds
• Alter watercourses
• Establish parks
• Construct public halls
• Establish war memorials
• Erect historical markers
• Lease surplus real estate
• Sell county personal property
• Sell real estate to the state
• Carry out poor relief duties
• Regulate food establishments
• Alter highways
• Provide burial of member of the armed forces
• Maintain county forests
• Assist community mental health centers
• Appoint a cemetery commission

Position Description

The financial powers of the county are placed in the county council, which serves as a check and balance on the board of commissioners and board of finance. The county is divided into four (4) districts and three (3) at-large, making a total of seven (7) council members and is elected for a term of four (4) years.

Responsibilities

• Fix the county tax rate
• Impose the tax levy
• Adopt annual budget
• Fix salaries of county officers, deputies, assistants and employees

Position Description

The Trustee is the chief administrative officer of the township and is elected for a term of four (4) years. Must be a resident of the township.

Responsibilities

• Prepare annual budget for submission to the township board
• Issuing detailed reports and keep detailed records
• Attend all meetings of the board of trustees
• Provide financial assistance (relief to the poor)
• Conduct rehabilitation, training and work programs
• Maintain township cemeteries
• Eradication of weeds
• Fire protection
• Summer recreation programs
• Community service programs

Position Description

Three (3) township residents are elected for a term of four (4) years and oversee the Township Trustee.

Responsibilities

• Adopt an annual budget
• Keep a record of proceedings
• Fix the tax rate for various funds
• Impose property tax levies (subject to review by the county and state tax boards)
• Authorize the incurring of indebtedness
• Approve township contracts
• Oversee bonds and warrants
• Serve as a township board of finance to select depositories for township funds
• Fix the salaries of elected and appointed officers and employees of the townships (excludes constables)