6 Marion County townships have contested races – Mirror Indy

6 Marion County townships have contested races  Mirror Indy

Six Indianapolis townships including Decatur, Washington and Wayne had contested township races. While the nation waits to see which major party will control Congress next year, many Marion County voters will be eyeing a much smaller unit of government: townships. Six of the county’s nine townships featured contested races for roles such as trustee, constable and judge. Trustees manage offices that provide assistance to residents to pay for rent, medicine and other needs. Constables serve orders, such as eviction notices, for township small claims courts, where they also provide security. Township judges oversee small claims courts where people bring civil claims worth $10,000 or less, including eviction proceedings. Here are the initial results, with 62% of vote centers reporting.

With 82% of the vote, Democrat Kenneth Allen has taken a significant early lead against independent Melvin ‘Major’ Hall in the race for township constable of small claims court. Both candidates identified the city’s high rate of evictions as one of the key issues they would tackle as constable. Allen said he would prioritize modernizing the township’s forms so residents can access assistance more easily online. Hall said he would wear a body camera to every eviction to create a record of how people were treated. He also said he would partner with organizations to hold people’s belongings for up to