Patio Pondering: The Checks are Coming, But Should We Cash Them?

Another August morning dawns hazy and humid here on the patio, a theme the weather seems determined to repeat this month. As I sip my coffee, my thoughts drift to fiscal management and how the way money is handled can affect people both directly and indirectly.

On July 30, the Cedar Creek Township Advisory Board passed Resolution 25-01-07, agreeing to return funds to the participating units of the former Northeast Allen Fire Territory. On the surface, this looks like a win for the people of Northeast Allen County. But is it?

After reviewing the 2024 financial records available on Indiana Gateway, my math does not align with the figures outlined in Resolution 25-01-07. More concerning, there are still expenses being recorded against the Northeast Allen Fire Territory accounts even though the territory was dissolved more than 18 months ago and replaced by a new fire protection district. That raises questions not only about the resolution’s accuracy but also about the ongoing use of funds tied to an entity that no longer exists.

For example, payments included $57,250 to Dewitt Consulting for services rendered to the defunct entity, nearly $29,000 to someone listed only as “John Hancock” for “personal services,” and $27,515 to an individual listed simply as “Jake.” These are not small figures and they deserve explanation.

The board also approved a debit against Cedar Creek Township’s portion of the disbursement to cover the $360,000 used to purchase the new township trustee office. That transaction should raise serious questions for taxpayers, as it used Fire Equipment funds to buy a government office building. Was this an appropriate use of funds designated for fire protection? And if this was essentially an internal loan, will we now see a resolution to cover a year’s worth of interest on what amounts to an interest-free loan to the township?

Some may see the passing of Resolution 25-01-07 as closure. I do not. We owe it to our community to ask: Where did the rest of the money go? And why has the trustee not provided full transparency into these transactions?

These questions deserve answers, not just for accountability, but for the trust and integrity of our local governance. I hope we see that clarity soon. And I hope voters remember these unanswered questions in 2026.