Services for the Community
Assistance & Relief
A trustee is responsible for overseeing those with financial needs and distributing relief. The trustee is charged to care for those experiencing financial stress by the most economical means available and at the same time is charged to be sure that the necessary needs of an individual or family are met. The applicant must show that they are unable to provide those needs through personal effort and that they have exhausted all other means.
Trustees may cooperate with other agencies and churches. In the Trustee’s system, the trustee has the freedom to discern whether or not an individual has and is willing to put forth that personal effort to help themselves. (Indiana Code Title 12)
Fence Disputes
When a dispute arises between two landowners regarding placement and maintenance of line fences, the trustee is to make determination according to Indiana law 32-10-9.
Rent Assistance
For assistance with rent payments please contact our office:
You will be asked to present:
1. Lease/Rent Documentation
2. Utility bill
3. Paycheck stubs for the last 30 days
4. Indiana picture ID
5. Social Security Card for everyone in the household
6. Bank Statement for the last 30 days
7. Notice of Benefits Social Security Award letter, Tanf or Food Stamp letter
8. Child Support Statement
9. If unemployed, you must be registered at the Work-One with a resume online and actively seeking employment. You will be required to provide documentation including contact information for the last 5 employment interviews. You will receive paperwork from Township Trustee's Office for documenting the interviews.
CemetEry Maintenance
The Lafayette Township Trustee may maintain abandoned cemeteries in the township. We can assist in mowing the grass, repairing stones, etc. The Trustee provides information to citizens about the history of the cemetery to the best of his knowledge.
Weed Control
The State of Indiana gives Township Trustees the duty of enforcing weed control in the Township to keep our environment safe from obnoxious and detrimental weeds that can harm lawns and farms. The Township Trustees are required to oversee State Highways, Railroads, business, and neglected home lawns to maintain their property or they will be cut and maintained by the Township Trustee and billed with fees and the cost of maintaining the property. To report the property in need of assistance please call our office.
Burials
Burial assistance is available from the Township Trustee when no other means of payment are available. The trustee, according to Indiana Code Title 12, is to oversee the burial of the indigent.
Financials
Each August, the trustee prepares and submits a budget for the incoming year to the three-person township board for approval. As the Chief Financial Officer of the township, the trustee pays and records all claims for the township expenses and salaries and is responsible to keep accurate records and follow all the financial guidelines set out in Indiana Code.
In January of each year, the trustee presents to the board an annual report which shows all receipts, expenditures, investments, and debts. The approved report is then published in local papers for public inspection.