SHERIDAN — The small town of Sheridan in northern Hamilton County has experienced significant growth following a successful reorganization initiative that passed this year, adding 2,000 new residents from unincorporated Adams Township and giving the community greater control over its future.
Silas DeVaney III, town council president and a key supporter of the reorganization, said the transition has exceeded expectations.
"The community has spoken. It's going well, going very well," DeVaney said. "Our goal was to keep all services that our community was accustomed to or exceed those, and I believe we've exceeded those, especially when it comes to our snow removal."
As Hamilton County continues its rapid growth, the reorganization gives Sheridan and the township the ability to control their own destiny, particularly in crucial areas like development and zoning.
"When we campaigned, we told our residents that the purpose of reorganization was to maintain control of our area when it came to planning and zoning," DeVaney said.
The town's historic character has become a major selling point for new residents and businesses. Unlike other Hamilton County communities that have built new developments to mimic historic charm, Sheridan already possesses authentic historic architecture.
"I think that that's awesome," said Heidi Kienholz, who represents Sheridan Main Street Inc.
Kienholz has witnessed increased community engagement since the reorganization took effect.
"We had the town really buy into updating the facades on Main Street. That brought in more buy-in with the business owners as well," Kienholz said. "You see a lot more people stepping up."
Local officials report improvements across all municipal services, from police and fire protection to street maintenance. However, some experts warn of potential financial challenges ahead.
Oscar Gutierrez from Bondry Consulting, which works with municipalities of all sizes, cautioned that maintaining current service levels could prove costly.
"The town is going to have to figure out a way to partner with the state or the county to continue to maintain some level of maintenance because the dollars simply are not there," Gutierrez said. "They'll see rises in their income taxes and their property taxes as well."
Despite these concerns, Sheridan officials remain committed to avoiding tax increases as Indiana's new property tax law gradually takes effect.
"We are going to be as smart as we can, and the goal is not to increase taxes," DeVaney said.
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Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.
