Note: This version of section effective 1-1-2026. See also preceding version of this section, effective until 1-1-2026.

     Sec. 5. (a) If the proper officers of a political subdivision desire to appropriate more money for a particular year than the amount prescribed in the budget for that year as finally determined under this article, they shall hold a public hearing after submitting the following information regarding the proposed additional appropriation to the department’s computer gateway:

(1) The amount of the additional appropriation.

(2) The name of the affected fund.

(3) The name and account number of the affected account.

(4) The date, time, and place at which the political subdivision or appropriate fiscal body will hold a public hearing on the proposed additional appropriation.

     (b) If the additional appropriation by the political subdivision is made from a fund for which the budget, rate, or levy is certified by the department of local government finance under IC 6-1.1-17-16, the political subdivision must report the additional appropriation to the department of local government finance in the manner prescribed by the department of local government finance. If the additional appropriation is made from a fund described under this subsection, subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i) apply to the political subdivision.

     (c) However, if the additional appropriation is not made from a fund described under subsection (b), subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i) do not apply to the political subdivision. Subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i) do not apply to an additional appropriation made from the cumulative bridge fund if the appropriation meets the requirements under IC 8-16-3-3(c).

     (d) A political subdivision may make an additional appropriation without approval of the department of local government finance if the additional appropriation is made from a fund that is not described under subsection (b). However, the fiscal officer of the political subdivision shall report the additional appropriation to the department of local government finance.

     (e) Subject to subsections (j) and (k), after the public hearing, the proper officers of the political subdivision shall file a certified copy of their final proposal and any other relevant information to the department of local government finance not later than fifteen (15) days after the additional appropriation is adopted by the appropriate fiscal body. If the additional appropriation is not submitted to the department of local government finance within fifteen (15) days after adoption, the department of local government finance may require the political subdivision to conduct a readoption hearing.

     (f) When the department of local government finance receives a certified copy of a proposal for an additional appropriation under subsection (e), the department shall determine whether sufficient funds are available or will be available for the proposal. The determination shall be made in writing and sent to the political subdivision not more than fifteen (15) days after the department of local government finance receives the proposal.

     (g) In making the determination under subsection (f), the department of local government finance shall limit the amount of the additional appropriation to revenues available, or to be made available, which have not been previously appropriated.

     (h) If the department of local government finance disapproves an additional appropriation under subsection (f), the department shall specify the reason for its disapproval on the determination sent to the political subdivision.

     (i) A political subdivision may request a reconsideration of a determination of the department of local government finance under this section by filing a written request for reconsideration. A request for reconsideration must:

(1) be filed with the department of local government finance within fifteen (15) days of the receipt of the determination by the political subdivision; and

(2) state with reasonable specificity the reason for the request.

The department of local government finance must act on a request for reconsideration within fifteen (15) days of receiving the request.

     (j) This subsection applies to an additional appropriation by a political subdivision that must have the political subdivision’s annual appropriations and annual tax levy adopted by a city, town, or county fiscal body under IC 6-1.1-17-20 or IC 36-1-23 or by a legislative or fiscal body under IC 36-3-6-9. The fiscal or legislative body of the city, town, or county that adopted the political subdivision’s annual appropriation and annual tax levy must adopt the additional appropriation by ordinance before the department of local government finance may approve the additional appropriation.

     (k) This subsection applies to a public library that is not required to submit the public library’s budgets, tax rates, and tax levies for binding review and approval under IC 6-1.1-17-20 or IC 6-1.1-17-20.4. If a public library subject to this subsection proposes to make an additional appropriation for a year, and the additional appropriation would result in the budget for the library for that year increasing (as compared to the previous year) by a percentage that is greater than the result of the maximum levy growth quotient determined under IC 6-1.1-18.5-2 for the calendar year minus one (1), the additional appropriation must first be approved by the city, town, or county fiscal body described in IC 6-1.1-17-20.3(c) or IC 6-1.1-17-20.3(d), as appropriate.

     (l) This subsection applies to an appropriation for which the underlying purpose is a bond issue. The political subdivision shall include the appropriation for the bond proceeds in the budget of the political subdivision for the ensuing year adopted under IC 6-1.1-17. If the political subdivision does not include the appropriation for the bond proceeds as required by this subsection, the political subdivision shall comply with the requirements of this section in the year in which the bond proceeds are received, but may not take an action pursuant to this section in a year before the year in which the bond proceeds are received.

     (m) The proper officers of a political subdivision shall submit the information described in subsection (a)(1) through (a)(4), in a manner prescribed by the department, to the department’s computer gateway at least fourteen (14) days prior to the public hearing. The department shall make the information submitted by the political subdivision available to taxpayers through the department’s computer gateway at least ten (10) days prior to the public hearing. If the date, time, or place of the public hearing changes following the original submission of the information to the department’s computer gateway, the political subdivision shall submit the updated information to the department’s computer gateway as soon as possible.

[Pre-1975 Property Tax Recodification Citation: 6-1-1-24 part.]

Formerly: Acts 1975, P.L.47, SEC.1. As amended by Acts 1981, P.L.46, SEC.2; P.L.69-1983, SEC.5; P.L.57-1991, SEC.1; P.L.17-1995, SEC.4; P.L.90-2002, SEC.161; P.L.137-2012, SEC.29; P.L.184-2015, SEC.9; P.L.184-2016, SEC.13; P.L.252-2019, SEC.3; P.L.257-2019, SEC.49; P.L.156-2020, SEC.19; P.L.159-2020, SEC.27; P.L.38-2021, SEC.30; P.L.156-2024, SEC.14.