It Takes A Village - Town Hall

Jan 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM (EST)

A community response to federal & state funding cuts

You can watch the whole town hall on Youtube (embedded above).

PROGRAM

State, County, and Local elected officials, along with community resource leaders and the public, join together to address the impact federal and state funding cuts are having and will continue to have on our local communities.

How will Monroe County respond to the coming funding cuts?

Statement from Senator Shelli Yoder:

Good evening, everyone. This is Shelli Yoder. I want to start by saying how sorry I am that I can’t be with you virtually tonight. I’ve come down with a fever, and while this town hall is virtual and no one else is at risk, I’m the one who, unfortunately, is not well enough to participate this evening.

Please know how grateful I am to the steering committee and organizers for the time and care that went into putting this town hall together, and thank you to everyone who showed up tonight. I’m honored to serve you in the Indiana State Senate, and I take this responsibility seriously.

I also want to acknowledge why this conversation matters. What happens at the Statehouse doesn’t stay there. It shows up here in Monroe County—in real dollars and real consequences.

Last year, Republicans passed SEA 1 and sold it as property tax relief—promising affordability. But what communities received was modest, short-term relief for some homeowners, paid for by shifting massive long-term costs onto local governments and schools.

That tradeoff is not theoretical. Because of SEA 1, Monroe County is projected to lose $9.6 million in 2026, $11.84 million in 2027, and $15.5 million in 2028. Bloomington alone is projected to lose more than $6 million over this period. And our public schools are absorbing some of the biggest losses—MCCSC is projected to lose $17.1 million between 2026 and 2028, and RBB is projected to lose $2.5 million over the same period.

These losses come with zero reduction in responsibility. Schools still need teachers, buses, counselors, and safe buildings. Counties still fund public health, courts, and emergency response. Cities still pay for police, fire, roads, and utilities. SEA 1 didn’t make any of that cheaper—it simply pushed the bill onto local communities.

And this session, we’re watching the same pattern repeat—surface-level relief for individuals while shifting real costs onto counties, cities, and schools. That is not affordability. That is burden shifting.

I’m disappointed to miss the opportunity to hear from you directly tonight. I am going to get busy planning a town hall very soon to make up for this—so we can connect, I can listen, and we can talk about what you need and what’s important to you from state government.

Thank you again for being here, and I ask you for your understanding. I hope you have a strong and meaningful discussion this evening.

In service for you,

Shelli

SEA 1 (SB1) Summary

Businesses win; households lose one way or another; renters big losers

According to Ball State economist Michael Hicks, “The income tax increases are delayed a year, so we will have a year of tax cuts and service cuts before we start seeing schools, counties and cities scrambling to plug budget holes.

The tax cuts take an awful lot out of local government and expose an awful lot of taxpayers to potentially paying a much higher income tax.” Also, according to Hicks, “Since the SB1 tax cuts are the broadest and largest business tax cuts in state history, most local governments will need to maximize . . .income tax.”

How did they vote?

These two voted NO

	Sen. Shelli Yoder, SD 40	Yoder Staff
	Senate Minority Leader	Nancy Singh
	Monroe	nancy.singh@iga.in.gov
	317.232.9534	Rachel Gray
	s40@iga.in.gov	Rachel.gray@iga.in.gov
	Rep. Matt Pierce, HD 61	Staff Assistant
	Minority Floor Leader	Eric Verden
	Monroe	eric.virden@iga.in.gov
	317.232.9656
	h61@iga.in.gov

These three voted YES 

	Rep. Bob Heaton, HD 46	Heaton Staff
	Majority Whip	Connor Dollarhite
	Monroe, Clay, Owen, Vigo	connor.dollarhite@iga.in.gov
	317.232.9981
	h46@iga.in.gov
	Rep. Peggy Mayfield, HD 60	Mayfield Staff
	Monroe, Morgan, Johnson	Charlie Willis
	317.234.2993	charlie.willis@iga.in.gov
	h60@iga.in.gov
	Rep. Dave Hall, HD 62	Hall Staff
	Assistant Majority Whip	Drew Sellers
	Monroe, Jackson, Brown	drew.sellers@iga.in.gov
	317.232.9978
	h62@iga.in.gov

PANEL: City & County Officials

	Mayor Kerry Thomson 812.349.3406 mayor@bloomington.in.gov A mayor's job is to be the chief executive and public face of a city, hire department heads, introduce budgets the council may cut but not add to, and implement council policies. City governments are a creation of the state legislature which makes home rule difficult when the state negates local ordinances and controls the purse. https://bloomington.in.gov/departments/office-of-the-mayor
	City Council Hopi Stosberg 812.349.3409 hopi.stosberg@bloomington.in.gov Nine City Council members are the legislative and fiscal body for the city. They approve the final budget; set local laws and regulations via ordinances and resolutions; set zoning and land use regulations; and represent resident concerns and needs. They are a creation of the state legislature. Common or City Council meetings are public. https://bloomington.in.gov/council
	Ellettsville Town Council William Ellis 812.876.3860 williamellis@ellettsville.in.us Five Ellettsville Council members act as the legislative and fiscal body; manage the town's administrative functions; approve budgets; set policies; and essentially run the town's government alongside the Clerk-Treasurer, as Ellettsville doesn't have a separate Mayor. They were created by the state legislature. Town Council meetings are public. https://ellettsville.in.us/council
	County Council David Henry 812.349.7312 dhenry@co.monroe.in.us Seven County Councilmembers adopt the annual budget, fix tax rates, authorize expenditures, and establish salaries for all county offices and agencies. It is a Constitutional elected office with prescribed duties. County Council meetings are public. https://www.in.gov/counties/monroe/government/council
	Sheriff Ruben Marté 812.349.2780 rmarte@co.monroe.in.us The Sheriff's job involves broad public safety, including law enforcement, court security, jail operations, inmate transport, and civil process execution. Traffic enforcement, accident investigation, fugitive apprehension, and the county jail are also his responsibility. This is an Indiana Constitutional elected office. https://monroecountysheriffsoffice.us
	County Commissioner Jody Madeira 812.349.2550 jmadeira@co.monroe.in.us Three County Commissioners act as an executive body by creating the budget; setting tax rates; maintaining the Courthouse, Justice Building & parks; and overseeing road construction & maintenance. This is an Indiana Constitutional elected offices. Weekly meetings are public. https://www.in.gov/counties/monroe/government/commissioners
	Benton Township Trustee Michelle Bright (Rural Township Trustee) 812.339.6593 trustee@bentontownship53.in.gov A Trustee acts as the Township Executive alongside a 3-person board which provides residents with emergency short-term relief for utilities, food, shelter, and burial. The board maintains local cemeteries, and acts as a notary and fence viewer. They are created by the state legislature. Monthly meetings are public. https://bentontownshiptrustee.org/trustee
	Bloomington Township Trustee Efrat Rosser (City Township Trustee) 812.336.4976 X 7  efratforbloomingtontwp@gmail.com A Trustee acts as the Executive within the 4-person board which provides residents with emergency short-term relief for shelter, utilities, food, medicine, transportation, and burial costs. The board also maintains historic cemeteries. They are created by the state legislature. Monthly meetings are public. https://www.bloomingtontownship.in.gov

COMMUNITY RESOURCE MANAGERS

Food
	Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard CEO Megan Betz 812.355.6843 ceo@mhcfoodpantry.org The Hub works to increase access to healthy food in ways that cultivate dignity, agency, and community. It’s the largest partner agency of the Hoosier Hills Food Bank, distributing over 1/3 of their food. This partnership allows MHC to leverage $1 to obtain about 10 pounds of food. MHC receives additional food from private donors, local farmers, gardeners, and the Plant A Row for the Hungry Program. https://www.mhcfoodpantry.org
Housing
	Beacon, Inc. Executive Director Forrest Gilmore 812.334.5734 X 1567 forrest@beaconinc.org  Beacon is a 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to aiding and empowering people experiencing extreme poverty. Founded in 2000, it’s become the largest housing provider of any nonprofit in Monroe County. Operating 7 days a week at 3 locations with nearly 30 staff, Beacon provides housing, day and overnight shelter, hunger relief, social services, financial support, and life essentials such as laundry, showers, and mail. https://beaconinc.org/about-beacon
Healthcare
	Hoosier Action Health Justice Organizer Tracey Hutchings-Goetz (812) 221-2756 tracey@hoosieraction.org Hoosier Action is a member-led community organization that builds grassroots power across rural and small-town Indiana by organizing everyday Hoosiers to shape public policy and win solutions on issues like healthcare, economic opportunity, and justice. It leads campaigns to protect and expand access to Medicaid, fight for harm reduction and addiction recovery resources, and address barriers that leave people behind in the state’s political and economic systems. https://www.hoosieraction.org Take Action: Protect Medicaid and Stop Medical Debt
Safety
	Exodus Refugee Immigration, Inc. Bloomington Resettlement Director Erin Aquino 317.921.0836 eaquino@exodusrefugee.org Exodus Refugee Immigration provides case management as well as mental health, legal, and employment services to area refugees with 6 staffers. They receive some state funding, but rely heavily on private grants, donations, and volunteers. Their mission is to protect human rights by serving the resettlement needs of refugees and other displaced people fleeing persecution, injustice, and war by welcoming them to Indiana. https://exodusrefugee.org
Education
	Indiana Coalition for Public Education ICPE Board Member Keri Miksza [pronounced MICKsa] 303.746.8986 kjmiksza@miksza.com ICPE is a non-partisan, non-profit group of local parents, educators, and residents advocating for strong, well-funded public schools. They not only oppose vouchers & charters that divert funds, but also promote local control and equity through advocacy, forums, and action at the state level. They have a paid lobbyist. They track bills. https://indianacoalitionforpubliced.org

Group Sponsors

Democratic Women’s Caucus - Bloomington, Indiana
https://www.democraticwomenscaucus.org
DWC advocates for inclusive public policy; empowers women in office; and provides leadership training to prepare women for political roles.

District 9 50501
BloomingtonIN50501@pm.me
A decentralized group in Southern Indiana committed to peacefully raising awareness of current governmental overreach.

Indiana Rural Summit
https://www.indianaruralsummit.org
In order to solve big problems, IRS is turning gerrymandered districts into a regional coalition giving rural and small-town voters a voice.

Limestone Chapter of ISTA-Retired
https://www.retiredteachers.org : limestone.istar@gmail.com
Indiana State Teachers Association chapters advance local education initiatives by connecting with legislators and special events.

Monroe County Democrats’ Club
MCDC is committed to strengthen and educate the community on the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party.

Monroe County Education Association
mceacomm@gmail.com
MCEA is the local teachers’ union that strives to make fair pay, and safe working conditions, which improves student learning.

Organizing Indiana
https://www.organizingindiana.org
In early 2025, Organizing Indiana was launched as a resource hub in order to harness and direct all of our collective energy. There is a calendar of events.

Reverse Citizens United
https://www.reversecitizensunited.org
RCU is committed to ending and/or mitigating corporate personhood so that democracy will be genuinely accountable to the voters.

Stonewall Democrats of South-Central Indiana
https://www.sdofsci.org
SD-SCI is a grassroots political organization working to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ people at the local and state levels.

Individual Sponsors 

Tomi & Jim Allison

Lois Sabo-Skelton

“Democracy is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for All”