Clinton County’s Drainage Board has approved significant increases in annual maintenance assessments on eight rural drainage watersheds, citing rising repair costs, failed tile systems, and several watershed accounts that have slipped deep into the red.
Meeting July 21, the board voted 3–0 in a series of eight public hearings to raise per‑acre drainage rates and minimum tract fees across the William Irwin, Robert Miller, William Circle, Raymond Stump, Orville Taylor, Sarah Taylor, James Wine Coupe and Fitch Davis watersheds, after hearing repeated concerns from landowners about long‑term deficits, increasing farm tax bills and contractor accountability.
Under Indiana drainage law, county-maintained tile and open ditches are funded by annual assessments on landowners within each watershed, with revenues legally restricted to work inside that watershed. Surveyor Daniel Sheets told commissioners the current rates—some unchanged for years despite inflation—have not kept up with repair needs, leaving several watershed accounts negative even as landowners say they rarely see visible work. The board’s votes will roughly double or more the annual revenue in some districts, and in at least one case support a five‑year reimbursement agreement for a major private tile replacement.
William Irwin watershed: rate increase after years in the red
The first hearing focused on the William Irwin Watershed, Drain 531, which includes 13,400 feet of tile and 31,870 feet of open drain across 3,356 acres and 176 parcels in Center, Jackson, Kirkland and Michigan townships. Sheets reported the watershed’s account stood at a negative $6,646.19 when notices were mailed June 30, though he said it had improved to about negative $4,010 by spring tax collection.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
The board raised the rate from $3 per acre, with a $10 minimum, to $4.50 per acre and a $40 minimum, generating an estimated $17,734.99 annually instead of $10,497.72. Sheets said annual maintenance costs have averaged about $16,900 since 2022 and that more work is needed on stretches near one complaining landowner’s property.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Longtime landowners Raymond and Carol Stewart, whose trust filed written objections, questioned where years of payments had gone and why the account was in deficit. “We’ve been paying taxes on that ditch since 1954, and I’ve yet to see you guys come out there and do any projects at all on it to make it better,” Raymond Stewart told the board.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Sheets responded that the assessment on the ditch had been turned off “for a long period” and only reactivated a few years ago, and that many repairs are invisible because they occur in fields or involve buried tile rather than visible ditch cleanouts. Commissioner Jordan Brewer added that inflation has eroded the buying power of a flat $3 rate over more than a decade.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Stewart and his wife also asked why some tracts in different watersheds pay $7 an acre while others pay less. Sheets explained that rates vary by watershed based on estimated maintenance needs and size; within a given watershed, he said, “every acre is $4.50 unless…less than $40, then it bumps up to the $40,” meaning each parcel pays at least the minimum.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
In response to repeated questions about transparency, Sheets and the board agreed to explore publishing an annual watershed spending report, either online or as a document available at the surveyor’s office. “We could pull out something pretty easily…maybe even put it online,” Sheets said, as Brewer called it “a great idea” for taxpayers.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Commissioner Bert Weaver said he saw little alternative to the increase. “Sadly to say, prices have raised for the cost of what we have to do. Gas for the contractors to even do things have gone up. There’s just not much that we can do to control that to be honest,” Weaver said before moving to approve the higher rate.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Robert Miller watershed: larger system, shortfall explained
The Robert Miller Watershed, Drain 545, covers 108,630 feet of tile and 45,760 feet of open drain over 9,486 acres and 445 parcels in Center, Jackson, Perry and Washington townships. The current $2 per acre, $20 minimum assessment brings in about $22,727 annually, but the account was negative $50,285.92 as of late June.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Sheets said annual maintenance since 2022 has averaged $17,615, but a review of expenses since 2020 showed multiple tile failures and ditch work that exceeded yearly collections and required borrowing from the county’s general drain improvement fund. The board approved increasing the rate to $3.50 per acre and a $35 minimum, nearly doubling annual revenue to about $39,773.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Resident Gerard Tottelin of Frankfort questioned why the watershed was $34,000 in the red if collections exceeded recent yearly maintenance figures. He was shown a breakdown of tile repairs—including one $13,500 collapsed stretch—open ditch work, beaver dam removal, spraying and pipe materials going back to 2020. “A lot of times what happened to that tile, like that stretch of tile failed, we have to fix it. We can’t wait till we raise an assessment to do that,” Sheets said, explaining that borrowing allows urgent work but later pushes the account negative until assessments catch up.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Tottelin also raised concerns about over‑building systems compared with long‑term land use, referencing Flint, Michigan’s water infrastructure and shrinking tax base. Sheets replied that these rural drainage systems are based on acreage and parcel counts rather than population, and Commissioner Kevin Myers noted that “this is farmland…farmland’s not going to go anywhere.”[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
As with the earlier hearing, board members said the rate hike reflected costs rather than a change in service. “We’re in a negative. I don’t see the options. So, as previously stated, it’s really pretty much the same story,” Weaver said before voting for the increase.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
William Circle, Raymond Stump, Orville Taylor: mid-size watersheds, modest opposition
Three subsequent hearings addressed the William Circle (Drain 558), Raymond Stump (Drain 566) and Orville Taylor (Drain 567) watersheds, all of which had no written objections and no citizens speaking against the proposed increases.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
William Circle (558)
The William Circle watershed contains about 34,190 feet of tile and 23,200 feet of open drain across 3,855 acres and 168 parcels in Johnson, Kirkland, Sugar Creek and Michigan townships. Its account was negative $14,567, with maintenance averaging $15,044 annually since 2022.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
The board raised the assessment from $2 per acre with a $5 minimum to $3.50 per acre with a $35 minimum, increasing yearly collections from $8,034 to about $16,684. With no public comment, commissioners approved the change unanimously and instructed Sheets to certify the action to the auditor.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Raymond Stump (566)
The Raymond Stump watershed is a joint district with Howard County, covering 28,200 feet of tile and 31,530 feet of open drain across about 3,987 acres—167 parcels in Clinton County’s Forest Township and 13 in Honey Creek Township in Howard County. With a $2 per acre, $10 minimum rate, it collects about $8,555 annually but has a negative account balance of $23,756 and has averaged $15,322 in maintenance costs since 2022.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
After noting that Howard County had waived its right to be represented on the joint drainage board for this decision, Sheets recommended increasing the rate to $4 per acre with a $30 minimum, raising annual revenue to approximately $17,630. No written or public objections were submitted, and the board approved the change 3–0.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Orville Taylor (567)
The smallest of the group, the Orville Taylor watershed, consists of open drain serving 261 acres across 15 parcels in Michigan Township. It currently collects only about $540 a year at $2 per acre with a $10 minimum, but has a negative balance of roughly $4,354 and maintenance averaging $2,305 annually since 2022.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Sheets recommended and the board approved raising the rate to $5 per acre and the minimum to $50, increasing yearly collections to $1,481.45. No landowners spoke or filed objections; Commissioners said they saw no alternative given the account deficit and repair needs.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Sarah Taylor watershed: sharp increase tied to five‑year tile reimbursement
The largest single rate jump came in the Sarah Taylor Watershed, Drain 568, covering 26,370 feet of tile and 43,500 feet of open drain across 5,367 acres and 224 parcels in Jackson and Kirkland townships. That district had been assessed at just $1.50 per acre with a $5 minimum, generating $8,273 annually despite a negative balance of $7,394 and maintenance averaging $11,287 a year since 2022.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Sheets told the board the watershed’s finances are further strained by a public‑private agreement approved June 16 to replace about 4,000 feet of the F. Hajec tile (Drain 695). Under that agreement, two landowners will pay the full cost of installation up front, while the drainage board committed to reimburse them over five years using Sarah Taylor’s maintenance account.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
To cover that obligation and ongoing work, Sheets recommended increasing the assessment to $7 per acre with a $50 minimum, projecting annual collections of about $41,272. Two written objections from Raymond and Carol Stewart questioned the size of the increase, and Brewer entered additional comments from landowners who suggested a lower rate—$6.50 per acre for four years, then falling to $2.50.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Resident Dave Clark, who spoke at the hearing, said the Sarah Taylor proposal “seems like it’s a large increase and covers what the deficit,” compared with smaller hikes in other watersheds. He asked if the board expected significantly more work on that system. Sheets confirmed that several thousand feet of new pipe are planned in the watershed, including the Hajec tile replacement.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Commissioner Meyers argued for adopting the full $7 rate but placing a time limit on it. “With the increased anticipated expense of the new ditching that we’re anticipating doing… I believe that it would be best to go with the $7 and simply have the cushion that we’re anticipating as opposed to cutting ourselves short and have to look at this in two or three years as going in the negative again,” Meyers said.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Sheets noted that drainage code already calls for a review around the four‑year mark, when boards consider turning assessments off or adjusting them once a watershed’s balance reaches four times its annual revenue. The board ultimately voted 3–0 to set the Sarah Taylor rate at $7 per acre with a $50 minimum for a four‑year term, with a future hearing required to decide whether to reduce, continue or suspend the assessment at that time.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
James Wine Coupe watershed: accountability concerns for ditch contractors
The James Wine Coupe Watershed, Drain 574, includes roughly 41,850 feet of tile and 48,160 feet of open drain over 5,419 acres and 155 parcels in Kirkland and Michigan townships. At $2 per acre and a $5 minimum, it collects about $10,887 a year but has a negative balance of $16,544.95, with maintenance averaging $31,859 since 2022.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Sheets recommended raising the rate to $5 per acre and the minimum to $50, which would bring in an estimated $28,658 annually. One written objection from landowner Thomas R. Politco II had been submitted in advance; Brewer said he responded to those questions by explaining how projects are bid and contractors selected.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
At the hearing, landowners Glenda and Gary Fry told the board their primary concern was not the higher rate but what they described as poor cleanup and hidden debris left by one of two contractors who worked on their ditch. “Our objection is not so much the pay or the rate increase, it’s the accountability of the contractors doing the work,” Gary Fry said. “We are still picking up…tree pieces of wood, rocks, you name it,” and said he broke seven shanks on an 11‑shank chisel plow crossing the cleaned ditch.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Sheets acknowledged one contractor had been removed from the county’s bid list after performance concerns and said staff tries to inspect projects during and after construction, though rough ground can hide problems. “We’ve gotten very picky about who we will send these bid notices to,” he said, adding that “cheapest bid isn’t always the best.”[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Brewer urged landowners to report problems promptly so the county can address them. “If we don’t know who’s doing a good job versus who’s not, the assumption is that everybody’s doing a good job,” he said. Weaver emphasized the board relies on landowner feedback because staff cannot follow up daily on each project, given the number of contractors and watershed miles.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
After closing the public portion of the hearing, the board unanimously approved the higher James Wine Coupe assessment and authorized Sheets to certify the action and notify landowners.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Fitch Davis watershed: small base, major tile failure
The final hearing of the morning involved the Fitch Davis Watershed, Drain 591, a smaller district with 11,180 feet of tile serving 305.61 acres across 83 parcels in Perry Township. At $3 per acre and a $5 minimum, the watershed collects just $1,142.30 a year but has a negative balance of $19,172.90 and recent maintenance averaging $6,363.25 annually.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Sheets recommended increasing the assessment to $10 per acre with a $75 minimum, raising collections to $7,734.86. No landowners filed objections or spoke; commissioners approved the higher rate unanimously.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Later in the regular meeting, Sheets briefed the board that Fitch Davis’s main tile drain is in “complete failure” and will need to be replaced or vacated, and that a major landowner has been asked to petition if they want to pursue installation of a new tile line.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Board outlines legal limits, potential annual reports
Throughout the eight hearings, Sheets and commissioners repeatedly stressed that Indiana Code 36‑9‑27 restricts drainage assessment funds to work inside the specific watershed from which they are collected. Money cannot be transferred to another watershed or used for general county purposes, and some projects have required temporary borrowing from a general improvement fund that must later be repaid by that watershed’s account.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Sheets explained the board may keep an assessment in place until a watershed’s balance reaches up to four times its annual revenue, at which point it can shut the rate off or plan a major project. He said several ditches need years of savings to fund large cleanouts that could cost $100,000 to $150,000, particularly where decades of tree growth and obstructions have blocked flows.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
In response to Stewart and others who said they had “yet to see” visible projects despite paying for decades, Sheets and Brewer acknowledged that much work is hidden in fields or buried tile, and agreed to look into producing annual spending summaries by watershed. They suggested such reports could be picked up at the surveyor’s office or posted online, though mailing copies would add costs to each watershed’s expenses.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
AT&T drainage approval tied to hog barn demolition
Following the assessment hearings, the board returned to regular business and revisited a conditional drainage approval related to AT&T’s proposed transmission facility near an abandoned hog barn, a separate issue that nonetheless touched on drainage and land use.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
AT&T’s representative told the board the company’s legal department had refused to be directly involved in dismantling the barn, citing environmental liability, but said landowner Tom Ponton and neighbor Kyle Johnson had reached a private agreement for Johnson to remove the structure starting July 27. Ponton said Johnson expected to take three or four days to remove the roof and above‑ground materials, with later work to handle the concrete pit in line with Indiana Department of Environmental Management requirements.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Brewer and Weaver said they were unwilling to grant unconditional drainage approval while the barn remained standing, referencing prior citizen complaints about AT&T fiber installation cutting private tiles and leaving material on land. After extended discussion, they settled on a path that ties drainage approval to a strict demolition timeline and potential condemnation.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
The board voted 3–0 to grant drainage approval for AT&T so the project could proceed to the Board of Zoning Appeals, but Brewer stated the commissioners intend to initiate condemnation of Ponton’s property at their Aug. 4 meeting if the barn’s roof and structure are not removed by then. “If it’s not torn down, the county is going to do it. The county is going to put a lien on your property,” Brewer told Ponton, while noting that Johnson could also file a private lien if his work is not paid for.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Planning Director Liz, speaking as staff, said if drainage approval is granted and the subdivision process moves ahead, a condemnation and lien filed after closing would apply to Ponton’s retained property rather than AT&T’s parcel, but if filed before subdivision, the lien could cloud both tracts. She also offered to ask the BZA to consider a special meeting in early August to avoid lengthy delays if the demolition is completed.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
AT&T’s representative said the company needed “a clean path to closing” without new liens in order to proceed, but indicated Johnson was prepared to start work in good faith before Ponton received sale proceeds, relying on a future lien if necessary.[ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws]
Other drainage updates: Michigan Town work
In closing comments, Sheets briefed commissioners on ongoing repair projects, including major work in the town of Michigantown to replace roughly two blocks—about 1,200 feet—of pipe found to be full of roots. He said crews had cut back three large trees, mapped the area and discovered previous work that rerouted and changed elevations, forcing water to “come up to get in the new pipe and then go back down to get in the old pipe.” The surveyor said new pipe was on site and installation was expected to proceed immediately.
Suggested headlines
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“Clinton County Hikes Drainage Rates as Rural Watersheds Run Deep in the Red”
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“From Sarah Taylor to Fitch Davis, Eight Ditches Get Higher Assessments in Clinton County”
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“Landowners Question ‘Invisible’ Ditch Work as County Doubles Drainage Fees”
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“Big Tile Projects Drive Sharp Increase in Sarah Taylor Watershed Drainage Bills”
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“AT&T Fiber Site Clears Drainage Hurdle, But Hog Barn Faces August 4 Deadline”
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