City News & Updates

HUNTINGTON – A unanimous City Council vote on October 29 authorized a lease revenue rental bond proposal that will fund nearly $10 million for capital projects. Financial consultant Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors confirmed the plan will keep the city’s portion of the overall tax rate flat with no out-of-pocket taxpayer impact.

Heidi Amspaugh, a principal with Baker Tilly, told Council members that Huntington’s Net Assessed Value has increased almost 13 percent from 2024 to 2025. Despite this growth, state law caps a municipality’s maximum levy growth quotient at 4 percent for 2025.

“So when a city of your size is growing at 13 percent and you can only raise your budget by 4 percent, there is obviously a gap there where you just can’t provide all of the necessities of a growing community within your current tax rate structure.”

Net Assessed Value refers to the total assessed value of all residential, agricultural and commercial/industrial properties within a taxing district, minus taxpayer exemptions and other deductions. Driving Huntington’s year-over-year growth has been the opening of Teijin Automotive’s new facility at the Riverfork West Industrial Park, local employers such as Ecolab, Bendix, Incipio and Shuttleworth expanding their footprints, new home construction and, in part, rising home and property values.

The reason the 11-year, low-interest bond issue will have no out-of-pocket taxpayer impact comes down to property tax caps in Indiana’s Constitution.

After closely reviewing the proposal, Baker Tilly reported that a homeowner would not pay any more or less in property taxes on their primary residence because of the bond proposal. The same holds true for agricultural and commercial/industrial properties, according to the report.

This is because state law limits residential property tax bills to 1 percent of a home’s assessed value.

For instance, a home valued at $100,000 will be taxed at $1,000 – with or without the bond issue. Similarly, agricultural property is limited at 2 percent, and commercial/industrial property at 3 percent. (Worth noting is that individual property taxes owed may increase or decrease year to year through the county assessment process and the actions of other taxing entities.)

The city’s goal in pursuing the bond proposal is to tap into Huntington’s strong economic growth and provide tangible quality-of-life improvements back to taxpayers. Based on longtime resident feedback, the city has identified several impactful projects in master planning that it will pursue. The city intends to go after additional grant opportunities to leverage the bond funds.

“We recognize that while this $10 million is a good key ‘first chunk’ on (completing these projects), there would be other city funds that would be utilized, but we would be going aggressively after grants and other opportunities as well,” Mayor Richard Strick said.

In order of project priority, city leaders are exploring plans to:

1. Renovate the Huntington City Building (estimated $6.5 million). Spaces formerly occupied by Huntington Fire and Police can be better utilized while overhauling the efficiency of the building’s mechanical systems and preserving its historical character. Major renovations last occurred in 1989.

2. Activate Downtown (estimated $4.6 million). Huntington has an opportunity to make significant ADA and walkability improvements by replacing sidewalks in the downtown business district. Downtown streets are due to be resurfaced, while new recreation and entertainment amenities will be another priority.

3. Build a community swimming pool (estimated $5.1 million). Earlier this year, engineering students from Rose Hulman University looked at the feasibility of opening a community pool at Drover Park and the expected costs. The city will continue developing potential plans and analyzing likely ongoing maintenance costs.

4. Make needed improvements at Memorial Park (estimated $835,000). Parking and ADA accessibility at Sunken Gardens can be improved, while plans are under consideration to address invasive plant species that may threaten the garden’s rockface. Design and landscaping upgrades at Shakespeare Gardens on the park’s north end could open more possibilities for interactive programming.

5. Expand Huntington’s trail system (estimated $3.8 million). Master planning has identified the potential to connect the Little River Trail to the Forks of the Wabash. Workers at Riverfork industrial parks could also benefit from a potential trail connection.