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Watchdog Lebanon provides information about the revenues, spending, and long-term debt assumption of the local and county governments in Boone County. An online community is established where Boone County Hoosiers work together to help control government growth. This volunteer effort is non-party, non-connected, and non-profit. 

Watchdog Lebanon is an advocate for good government that focuses on the local tax burden of Boone County working families.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, ... who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

Watchdog Lebanon was founded by Aaron Smith on November 14, 2001. Aaron's resides in Lebanon Indiana, and his biographical information can be found online at http://www.finplaneducation.net/aaron.htm. 

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Immediate action needed!
10/02/2016: Everyone is urged to contact the Zionsville Town Council and Lebanon City Council members and insist they vote against the excessive county-wide 50% Local Income Tax increase on October 11.

The phone number to reach all the Zionsville Town Council members is 317-873-5130 and the E-mail addresses for Josh Garrett, Elizabeth Hopper, Jeff Papa, Tom Schuler, Kevin Spees, Susana Suarez, and Bryan Traylor are: jgarrett@zionsville-in.gov; ehopper@zionsville-in.gov; jpapa@zionsville-in.gov; tschuler@zionsville-in.gov; kspees@zionsville-in.gov; ssuarez@zionsville-in.gov; btraylor@zionsville-in.gov;

The Lebanon City Council Members are are Keith Campbell (765-482-6082), John Copeland (765-482-5817), Dan Fleming (765-335-2170), Mike Kincaid (317-341-5934), Corey Kutz (765-414-0704), Jeremy Lamar (765-482-4662), and Dick Robertson (765-891-2604) and their E-mail addresses are: kecampbell@cityoflebanon.org; john.dcopeland5@gmail.com; daniel.fleming88@gmail.com; mikekincaid22@gmail.com; corey.kutz@gmail.com; jlamar@lamar-lamar.com; dick.robertson67@yahoo.com;

Everyone is also urged to contact Zionsville Mayor Tim Haak (317-873-5410, thaak@zionsville-in.gov) and Lebanon Mayor Matt Gentry (765-482-1201, MayorGentry@CityOfLebanon.org) and insist they veto the excessive 50% Local Income Tax increase.

In addition, concerned citizens also need to attend the Lebanon High School joint meeting on October 11 at 7:00 PM and testify against the Local Income Tax increase.

Did You Know?
07/08/2016: The Lebanon School Superintendent announced at a recent meeting of the Lebanon School Board that he expects to build a new school in Whitestown the next four to seven years because of continued population growth in Whitestown and Worth Township. This does not seem to make sense because most developers of subdivisions and apartment complexes in the Whitestown area have thus far chosen to put their new residences within the Zionsville school district instead of the Lebanon school district.

According to http://www.stats.indiana.edu/population/sub_cnty_estimates/2017/e2017_places.asp, the Whitestown population increased 5,312 the past 7 years:
2017 = 8,179
2016 = 7,598
2015 = 6,766
2014 = 5,788
2013 = 4,480
2012 = 3,985
2011 = 3,453
2010 = 2,867

According to http://www.stats.indiana.edu/population/sub_cnty_estimates/2017/e2017_townships.asp, the Worth Township population increased 1,185 the past 7 years:
2017 = 3,639
2016 = 3,292
2015 = 3,136
2014 = 2,879
2013 = 2,420
2012 = 2,289
2011 = 2,112
2010 = 2,454

According to http://www.stats.indiana.edu/stats_dpage/dpage.asp?id=71&view_number=2&menu_level=&panel_number=, the 2016 Boone County School Age (5 to 17) Population was 19.84 percent of the total county population.

Because 19.84 percent of the total county population is school age, school enrollment from the 2010 to 2017 Whitestown and Worth Township population growth should have increased by 1,289 students [(5,312 + 1,185) x 0.1984].

Where did the 1,289 new students go to school? It is obvious that not many new students are at the Lebanon schools because their total student enrollment actually declined from 3,459 in 2010 to 3,434 in 2017! Meanwhile, total enrollment in the Zionsville schools increased by 1,361 students from 5,570 in 2010 to 6,931 in 2017. The Lebanon and Zionsville student enrollments listed next were obtained from https://www.doe.in.gov/accountability/annual-school-performance-reports.

Lebanon Community School Corporation (0665) Student Enrollment
2017 = 3,434
2016 = 3,520
2015 = 3,573
2014 = 3,527
2013 = 3,557
2012 = 3,547
2011 = 3,552
2010 = 3,459

Zionsville Community Schools (0630) Student Enrollment
2017 = 6,931
2016 = 6,722
2015 = 6,424
2014 = 6,266
2013 = 5,923
2012 = 5,750
2011 = 5,644
2010 = 5,570

Some Whitestown students live within the Zionsville school district boundaries, while the remainder reside within the Lebanon school district. Whitestown students who attend the Zionsville schools live within the area roughly bounded by CR 600 E at the southern end of the county, straight north through I-65 Exit 130 to CR 500 S, CR 500 S to CR 650 E, CR 650 E to CR 550 S, CR 550 S to CR 700 E, CR 700 E to Whitestown Parkway (old IN 334), Whitestown Parkway to I-65, and I-65 to the southern end of the county. A significant number of new Whitestown residences have been built within the Zionsville school boundaries at Clark Meadows, Clark Neighborhoods at Anson, Woodlands Luxury Apartments, The Boulevards at Anson, Townhomes at Anson, Westhaven Luxury Apartments, Westwood Landing, and Eagles Nest – these new Whitestown subdivisions and apartment complexes account for a great deal of the 2010-2017 student enrollment growth in the Zionsville schools.

Major Whitestown subdivisions within the Lebanon school district include Walker Farms and Harvest Park. Walker Farms and Harvest Park elementary students are assigned to Lebanon’s Perry Worth Elementary School. Student enrollment at Perry Worth Elementary has been static since 2014.

Perry Worth Elementary School Student Enrollment
2017 = 373
2016 = 375
2015 = 372
2014 = 373
2013 = 347
2012 = 338
2011 = 320
2010 = 270

Why are most developers in the Whitestown area choosing to put their new residences within the Zionsville school district instead of the Lebanon school district? The 2017 Accountability Grades listed next probably are a big reason.

Zionsville Community Schools 2017 A-F Accountability Grades
Boone Meadow Elementary = A
Eagle Elementary = A
Pleasant View Elementary = A
Stonegate Elementary = A
Union Elementary= A
Zionsville Middle School = A
Zionsville West Middle School = A
Zionsville Community High School = A
ZCS TOTAL = A

Lebanon Community School Corporation 2017 A-F Accountability Grades
Central Elementary = B
Harney Elementary = C
Perry Worth Elementary = A
Stokes Elementary = C
Lebanon Middle School = B
Lebanon Senior High School = A
LCSC TOTAL = B

It is also noteworthy that, according to https://www.doe.in.gov/accountability/annual-school-performance-reports, the percentage of 2016-17 students who moved from one school to another in a different school corporation was 9.7 percent at the Lebanon Community School Corporation, but only 2.4 percent at the Zionsville Community Schools. NOTE: Lebanon students are not transferring to the Zionsville schools because the Zionsville schools do not accept tuition students who reside outside their attendance boundaries.

It does not make sense for the Lebanon Community Schools Corporation to build a new school in Whitestown unless a significant number of developers in the Whitestown area unexpectedly start to build their new residences within the Lebanon schools district instead of the Zionsville schools district. It is certainly hoped that the Lebanon School Superintendent does not believe that simply erecting a new school building will by itself attract new residential developers! Lebanon schools need to focus on improving their academic programs and outcomes before deciding to build a costly and unneeded new school in Whitestown.

Lebanon Sanitary Sewer Backup Prevention

Raw sewage backups in Lebanon homes present serious health hazards from exposure to the pathogens and allergens that fester in sewage waste. The Indiana State Department of Health has identified the following diseases caused by raw sewage and sewage contaminated water: Campylobacteriosis, Cryptosporidiosis, Escherichia coli Diarrhea, Encephalitis, Gastroenteritis, Giardiasis, Hepatitis A, Leptospirosis, Methaemoglobinaemia, Poliomyelitis, Salmonellosis, Shigellosis, Paratyphoid Fever, Typhoid Fever, and Yersiniosis. Details regarding these dangerous diseases can be found online at http://www.in.gov/isdh/22963.htm.

The elimination of improper sump pump and other connections to the sanitary sewer system is an important first step in preventing Lebanon’s sanitary sewer backups. A crucial initiative pertaining to the elimination of improper sanitary sewer system connections is the Lebanon Utilities Sanitary Sewer Study in the Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods.

Lebanon Utilities and Wessler Engineering are conducting a Sanitary Sewer Study in the Morningside and Edgewood neighborhoods. This Study includes the inspection of resident sump pumps and the inspection of sanitary lateral pipes that connect homes to the city’s sanitary sewer pipes. Homeowners are responsible for the proper operation of both the resident sump pumps and the sanitary lateral pipes. Detailed information about the Study can be found on the Lebanon Utilities web page at http://www.lebanon-utilities.com/ww_projects.html.

There are a total of 244 homes in the Study area. The Morningside neighborhood includes Morningside Drive, Sunnyside Lane, Brookside Drive, and the adjoining sections of Fordice Road and John Bart Road. The Edgewood Neighborhood includes Edgewood Drive, Amber Lane, Evergreen Road, Glendale Drive, and the adjoining sections of Fordice Street, Grant Street, and Washington Street (and the homes on Main Street between Prairie Creek and Oak Hill Cemetery). As of September 17, 21 of the 244 homes had been inspected – two of the inspected homes had improper sump pump connections to the Lebanon sanitary sewer system.

Morningside and Edgewood neighborhood residents have been asked to please schedule their home inspection by E-mailing Nancy Hanley at NancyH@wesslerengineering.com or calling 317-788-4551 (ask for Nancy). The inspections began on September 2, 2014, and will end on October 30, 2014. Inspections will be scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. It is imperative that all Lebanon citizens urge the 244 Morningside and Edgewood homeowners to participate in the Sanitary Sewer Study.

A Special Report has been prepared by Watchdog Lebanon regarding the prevention of sanitary sewer backups in Lebanon homes. The Special Report sections include (1) Introduction, (2) Lebanon Sanitary System Overview, (3) Lebanon Sanitary Sewer Backup Sources, (4) Lebanon Sanitary Sewer Backup Solutions, (5) Proper Storm Water Management For Morningside & Edgewood Homeowners, (6) Voluntary Compliance Is Important, (7) Home Sump Pumps A Likely Problem, (8) Disconnecting Home Sump Pumps Will Prevent Most Sanitary Sewer Backups, (9) Payment Options To Correct Improper Sanitary Sewer Connections. The Special Report can be found online at http://www.finplaneducation.net/sewer_backup_prevention.htm.

You Can Help.
Listed below are several ways you can help control taxes and spending in Boone County.

Bookmark this website so you can easily visit Watchdog Lebanon often to help learn about cash revenues, cash spending, and long-term debt assumption in the various Boone County governmental units.

Suggest projects for Watchdog Lebanon to adopt. Please send an E-mail if you know of something that needs the attention of Watchdog Lebanon.

Register to vote. Send an E-mail to the Boone County Clerk to request information on how and where to register to vote.

Review the Watchdog Lebanon  "Boone County Candidate Information" and "Lebanon Candidate Information" (see the above Boone County Topics Index and Lebanon Topics Index) when deciding how to vote in a local Boone County election.

E-mail to the Editor of your local newspaper a letter or opinion article about local cash revenues, cash spending, and long-term debt assumption. Use Letters To The Editor Via E-mail to find the E-mail address of the Editor of your local newspaper.

Use the Local Government Factfinding List to understand and influence the revenues, spending, and long-term debt assumption decisions of your local government.

Watchdog Lebanon summarizes my use of Boone County, Indiana, as a case study to demonstrate how you can work to help control the revenue and spending growth of your local government. Understanding the Fundamental Watchdog Beliefs will help you understand the approach taken in this website. Please send an E-mail telling what you think about Watchdog Lebanon or anything else that comes to mind. Your comments, suggestions, problems, complaints, praise, and opinions are welcome.

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This page was last updated on 07/08/18.