A new trustee has been named to oversee assistance to needy families, fire service and care of cemeteries in Pleasant Township.
In a caucus earlier this month, members of the Johnson County Republican Party selected William Hart, of Greenwood, to serve out the remainder of the term for township trustee. Mary Ann Powell, the longtime Pleasant Township trustee, died earlier this month.
Hart was the only person to apply likely because of the short deadline, and the fact that the position requires a time commitment that may be difficult for people who already have a job, said Beth Boyce, chairwoman of the Johnson County Republican Party.
Township trustees are responsible for providing assistance to residents in the township who are struggling financially, make sure the township is covered with fire department services and that abandoned cemeteries are maintained.
The Pleasant Township advisory board, which works closely with the trustee, would also be the ones tasked with approving a new local income tax that could be used to pay for a new mass rapid transit bus line that has been discussed to connect Carmel to Greenwood.
In Pleasant Township, the trustee oversees a budget of more than $200,000, which includes nearly $50,000 in financial assistance for families in need. The trustee received a salary of $43,334 last year.
Hart will serve the remainder of Powell’s term through the end of this year. The Republican Party has also slated Hart as their candidate for the office, which is on the ballot for voters this fall, Boyce said.
Hart had helped the trustee and the county in the past, and he wanted to further help by taking the trustee position, he said.
“I thought it would be another way to help people that needed help and give back to the county,” Hart said.
One of his goals is for the office to continue to handle requests for assistance within or before the assigned time limit of 72 hours, he said.
“If we can do it in 48 hours, then we’ll do that,” he said. “We’ll have to wait and see, but I think it can be done.”
Hart is still getting used to the new position, but said the staff members are helping him learn and adjust.
“It’s coming together,” Hart said. “It’s just a matter of getting used to it and knowing where everything is located.”
