{"id":3513509,"date":"2025-06-05T10:38:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T10:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/?p=3513509"},"modified":"2025-06-05T10:38:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T10:38:35","slug":"city-limits-in-the-hoosier-state-keeping-monroe-county-great","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/stories\/2025-06-05\/city-limits-in-the-hoosier-state-keeping-monroe-county-great\/","title":{"rendered":"City Limits in the Hoosier State (Keeping Monroe County Great)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monroe County, Indiana, lies just an hour south of the state capital (Indianapolis), yet it retains a rural character. The gently rolling hills and farmland of the Mitchell Plain characterize the central and western portions of the county. Porous limestone bedrock (known as karst<\/a>) imposed\u00a0limits on municipal water resources<\/a>\u00a0until the late 20th<\/sup>\u00a0century, when the Army Corps of Engineers\u00a0created Monroe Reservoir<\/a>.<\/p>\n

East of Mitchell Plain lies a forested landscape of hills and \u201chollers\u201d (valleys). Its beauty has long attracted landscape artists,\u00a0including TC Steele<\/a>, an impressionist of some fame post-Civil War. Steep slopes and\u00a0federal<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0state forests<\/a>\u00a0have protected much of eastern Monroe County from development. Perhaps reflecting this history of scarce water resources and natural beauty, the county has a strong\u00a0conservation ethic<\/a>, which is evident in its\u00a0comprehensive plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The county seat of Bloomington, located in the center of Monroe County, is home to Indiana University. The campus is renowned for its beauty, with historic,\u00a0local, limestone-clad buildings<\/a>\u00a0set within woodlands and open green spaces. Bloomington contains six percent of Monroe County\u2019s land area, yet its 80,000 residents make up 60 percent of the county\u2019s population.\u00a0More than half<\/a>\u00a0of Bloomington\u2019s residents are students, so the city\u2019s population fluctuates seasonally.<\/p>\n

After\u00a0Bloomington\u2019s population doubled<\/a>\u00a0from the 1960s to the early 2000s, both the city\u2019s and county\u2019s populations have plateaued in the past two decades. Monroe County\u2019s population has even\u00a0declined slightly<\/a>\u00a0in recent years. Despite the steady-state advantages of these\u00a0stabilized population<\/a>\u00a0trends, Bloomington\u2019s past two mayoral administrations have viewed city expansion as an imperative.<\/p>\n

Annexation is the means of\u00a0expanding the city<\/a>, placing adjacent land under city control and taxation. In Monroe County, this process is in its eighth year of contentious debate and litigation. Despite considerable efforts by the city government and\u00a0growth advocates<\/a>, county residents have held city expansion at bay. Now, a\u00a0pending decision<\/a>\u00a0by the Indiana State Supreme Court may set a new standard limiting the growth of Hoosier cities.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight-Sizing\u201d Starts on the Wrong Foot<\/h3>\n

In the past, Bloomington annexations involved only small parcels of land. Therefore, when Mayor John Hamilton put forward an ambitious proposal in 2017, there was immediate blowback. The plan would add over 14,000 Bloomington residents and increase the city\u2019s area by almost a third. Proponents invoked a need to \u201cright-size<\/a>\u201d the city, suggesting that Bloomington would remain deficient and second-rate without growth.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

City of Bloomington, Indiana (blue), and the seven disputed areas for annexation proposed in 2017. (City of Bloomington)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

All three Monroe County commissioners, alongside their constituents,\u00a0opposed the plan<\/a>. They were concerned that tax increases would affect the cost of living and that annexation would irrevocably change the county\u2019s rural character. The mayor countered by portraying county residents as freeloaders\u2014enjoying the urban and cultural benefits of the city without paying their share.<\/p>\n

The county-city division became heated. County commissioners reproached the mayor for not consulting them about county lands they would lose jurisdiction of.<\/p>\n

Some Bloomington City Council members echoed this assertion. In an interview for the\u00a0Steady State Herald<\/em>, former city council member\u00a0Susan Sandberg<\/a>\u00a0recounted,<\/p>\n

\u201cPushing forward while excluding our county colleagues was the first of several mis-steps by the mayor and created a united front of county residents and their elected representatives.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The rift created distrust that affected cooperation thenceforth.<\/p>\n

Substantial public outrage elicited intervention by the state. In April 2017, Indiana Governor Holcomb\u00a0signed a bill<\/a>\u00a0that obstructed the annexation. Mayor Hamilton\u2019s administration\u00a0challenged the intervention<\/a>\u00a0in a suit against the state. In 2020, the Indiana Supreme Court\u00a0ruled that Bloomington could continue<\/a>\u00a0the annexation process. By then, however, county residents had organized in opposition and gleaned considerable support from the Indiana General Assembly.<\/p>\n

Remonstration Campaign<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

County Residents Against Annexation<\/a>\u00a0launched a door-to-door campaign to resist involuntary annexation. (CRAA<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

The annexation ordinances were\u00a0brought before the city council<\/a>\u00a0in September 2021. Public comment during the deliberations weighed heavily in opposition of the ordinances. Referring to the city\u2019s heavy-handed approach and the resulting rage amongst county residents, county commissioner\u00a0Julie Thomas<\/a>\u00a0stated portentously<\/a>, \u201cYou are setting this up for a lawsuit\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite this warning, the city council\u00a0approved the legislation<\/a>\u00a0with a 6-3 vote. Affected county residents had 90 days to sign \u201cremonstrances,\u201d or formal objections. The number of signatures would determine, under Indiana law, whether the annexation could proceed. If 51 percent of residents in an area up for annexation signed remonstrances, they could challenge Bloomington in court. If 65 percent signed, the annexation of that area would be automatically invalidated.<\/p>\n

By this point, citizens had already formed\u00a0County Residents Against Annexation<\/a>\u00a0(CRAA) to gather signatures and hire legal counsel. Organizers canvassed and visited neighborhood meetings to raise awareness, in hopes of clearing the remonstrance bar.<\/p>\n

A Case for Concurrency<\/h3>\n

There is a constitutional question of whether Bloomington has the right to bring peripheral land into the city\u2019s jurisdiction. However, rights aren\u2019t the only issue at play. Several city councilmembers have\u00a0raised concerns<\/a>\u00a0about the city\u2019s ability to expand its infrastructure by one-third while serving existing residents.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Andy Ruff has served on Bloomington\u2019s city council for 22 years. (Monroe County Public Library Cable Access Television \u2013\u00a0CATS<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

When municipal infrastructure (roads, sewers, water systems, etc.) and services (public safety, sanitation, etc.) are deficient, many believe new tax revenues from annexation can fill the gap. However, the new land and residents often require\u00a0more<\/em>\u00a0services, exacerbating the deficiency. Before extending its boundaries, a city should ensure that public services and infrastructure are \u201cconcurrent<\/a>\u201d with any new development proposals. Many would say Bloomington doesn\u2019t meet this standard.<\/p>\n

The Public Works Department\u2019s policy states that streets will be repaved every 20 years, yet many streets have been waiting for over 40.\u00a0Sidewalks<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0stormwater<\/a>\u00a0infrastructure remain absent or inadequate in many neighborhoods. City services have likewise failed to keep pace with expansion. For example, City-commissioned consultants recommended 105 police officers, yet the Bloomington Police Department has only\u00a080 sworn officers<\/a>. It would need 130 to properly police the city if the annexation were successful.<\/p>\n

This is a longtime concern of city council representative\u00a0Andy Ruff<\/a>. In an interview for the\u00a0Steady State Herald<\/em>, he noted that growth has rarely paid for itself, instead resulting in higher service fees and taxes:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re constantly told by the advocates for growth that it always gives benefits, but never costs. And, many of these costs are hidden\u2014more congestion, more crime, more pollution. At the very least, city infrastructure and services should follow a policy of concurrency\u2014that is, are we at least keeping pace with our needs, or are we told to grow in order to play catch-up, where our needs are always out of reach? We are still catching up with past growth.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When campaigning in 2023, councilmember Ruff noticed that citizens shared these concerns:<\/p>\n

\u201cThreats to quality of life were a constant refrain that I heard among city residents. City residents had been paying higher utility rates for water utility expansion as well as increased property and income taxes and yet were experiencing the downside of growth in reduced livability of their community.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Brakes on Expansion<\/h3>\n

Ruff succeeded in his run for city council in 2023. The election also brought a new mayor to office, as John Hamilton declined to run again. During\u00a0Mayor Kerry Thomson<\/a>\u2019s campaign, she promised to improve city relations with the county. Nevertheless, she\u00a0continued litigation<\/a>\u00a0against the county government and residents when it came to annexation. To date, this litigation has\u00a0cost taxpayers over $2.4 million<\/a>\u00a0(plaintiff fee reimbursement has yet to be determined).<\/p>\n

One of the city\u2019s key arguments in court relies on \u201cremonstration waivers.\u201d Some county residents signed waivers in exchange for city sewer connections. In effect, they waived their right to challenge annexation.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Northern suburbs of Indianapolis. Suburban sprawl has replaced many of Indiana\u2019s rural areas. (Carol Highsmith<\/a>,\u00a0Picryl<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

However, in 2019, the Indiana General Assembly enacted HB 1427, which\u00a0voided waivers<\/a>\u00a0more than fifteen years old. This restored the right of remonstration for many affected county residents. Multiple\u00a0legal challenges ensued<\/a>. In June 2024, a special judge ruled against the City on\u00a0constitutional grounds<\/a>. In August 2024, the judge also found that Bloomington\u00a0failed to meet the statutory requirements<\/a>\u00a0for annexation, which involve demonstrating the city\u2019s need for the annexed areas.<\/p>\n

Mayor Thomson immediately declared her intent to appeal the decision,\u00a0taking the case<\/a>\u00a0to a three-judge panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals. The CRAA objected, asserting that the City of Bloomington meant for the appeals process to exhaust their resources with litigation expenses.<\/p>\n

In February 2025, the\u00a0appeals court decided<\/a>\u00a0in favor of the state legislature and the CRAA, ruling against Bloomington\u2019s attempted annexation. The\u00a0unanimous decision<\/a>\u00a0found that \u201cBloomington lacks enforceable rights to challenge the 2019 Act under the Federal and Indiana Contract Clauses.\u201d Despite this significant loss, the city administration has made a final appeal to the Indiana State Supreme Court.\u00a0A decision is pending<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Precedent Setting?<\/h3>\n

Both Bloomington mayors have argued that growth\u2014and the need to extend municipal services\u2014is inevitable. They point to parts of the areas proposed for annexation that are already \u201curbanized,\u201d with density and commercial activity similar to that found within the city\u2019s borders. However, a significant portion of these areas remains low-density and rural in nature.<\/p>\n

Steady staters argue that a final decision against Bloomington would\u00a0set a precedent<\/a>\u00a0preventing other Indiana cities from expanding recklessly. Indiana is one of the few states that permit \u201cinvoluntary annexation<\/a>.\u201d This means that a city can annex an area even if a majority of landowners have filed remonstrances, as long as the city can demonstrate it is in the best interest of the community to be annexed.<\/p>\n

Monroe County has shown its intention to maintain the county\u2019s rural nature and low density. County residents and commissioners want to\u00a0keep<\/em>\u00a0the county great, protected from economic bloating. County commissioners have\u00a0voted to downzone<\/a>\u00a0(reduce zoning density) some areas. County Commissioner\u00a0Lee Jones<\/a>\u2014a supporter of the rezone\u2014spoke against calls for growth from a commissioner colleague and growth advocates, such as the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. \u201cThere is no such thing as sustainable growth,\u201d\u00a0she declared<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A public meeting on the Bloomington annexation plan, held by Monroe County officials. (Monroe County Public Library Cable Access Television \u2013\u00a0CATS<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

Commissioner Jones\u2019 comment echoes a\u00a0steady-state ethic<\/a>\u00a0found in Bloomington\u2019s own\u00a0comprehensive plan<\/a>. The plan\u2019s executive summary states,<\/p>\n

\u201cOur community has resolved to do our share to protect the biosphere, and critical to this protection is recognizing that infinite growth is neither possible nor desirable in a finite world.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>It adds,\u00a0\u201cMeasures of quality of life based on equity, human fulfillment, and community resilience should replace inadequate progress measures based on aggregate growth in conversion of our natural world to built capital, and corresponding increases in resources and energy.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With a final decision by the highest court in Indiana just months away, a state-wide precedent for city limits may well be the outcome of this local battle. In Monroe County, a decision against expanding Bloomington would be a costly disappointment for growth advocates. However, it would align the city with the aspirations laid out in its comprehensive plan, toward a\u00a0steady-state future<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Disclosure: The author serves on the Bloomington City Council and was one of three councilmembers who voted against annexation.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Monroe County, a decision against expanding Bloomington would be a costly disappointment for growth advocates. However, it would align the city with the aspirations laid out in its comprehensive plan, toward a\u00a0steady-state future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128238,"featured_media":3513518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79717,213528],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3513509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-economy-featured"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3513509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3513509"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3513509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3513517,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3513509\/revisions\/3513517"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3513518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3513509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3513509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3513509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}