Mooresville council votes not to proceed with proposed fire territory

Mooresville Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday not to proceed with a proposed fire territory and the levy package presented to the town and Brown Township, effectively halting the measure for this year.

The council’s decision came after several months of public hearings and about 10 hours of testimony, council members said. The proposal would have created a joint fire territory to combine services between Mooresville and Brown Township and set a higher maximum levy for fire service funding. Jeff Bellamy, the meeting’s presenter, told the bodies that approval required separate majorities in each unit and subsequent review by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF).

Bellamy said, “For this to be approved, both units as units respectively, not as a collection of the whole, have to have a majority of each. So you guys have to be unanimous, and I'm pointing to the township board. So we have to have 2 positive votes from the township board and at least 3 positive votes from the council.” That procedural threshold meant the territory could not advance unless both Mooresville and Brown Township separately voted to accept it.

Discussion at the meeting focused on balancing firefighters’ staffing and equipment needs against the levy increase’s impact on residents and businesses. Several council members signaled support for continuing public engagement and exploring alternatives rather than approving the presented levy. Council member Jeff Cook said he was a “hard no” on the plan as presented, adding he wanted more options and public education. Another council member said the item should be considered as a yearlong process and that public involvement remain high.

Public commenters and elected officials emphasized the importance of local fire and EMS services. Brown Township Trustee Mark Harris described the need for sustainable funding and thanked residents for engaging in the process. A public participant, identified as JC Cornwell, said he personally gathered 1,134 petition signatures and noted others collected additional signatures.

After discussion, Council member Jeff Cook moved that the council not proceed with the fire territory "as presented." The motion was seconded by Joshua Brown. The council conducted a roll call vote: Jeff (aye); Kirk (aye); Josh (aye); Greg (aye); Tom (aye). The motion passed, and the council adjourned without a formal vote from Brown Township that night.

Because the territory required separate majorities in both units and DLGF review, Bellamy and several council members said the decision effectively ends the territory effort for the year unless further collaboration occurs during upcoming budget sessions. Council members encouraged continued public input and recommended more outreach and study of alternatives such as a different levy structure, a district, or county EMS participation.

The meeting record shows the council declined the territory proposal as presented; no new levy was adopted and no ordinance or resolution was signed at the session. Officials said services from Brown Township and Mooresville Fire Departments will continue under current funding arrangements while the bodies consider other options.