Center Township · Grant County, Indiana

What Does a Township Trustee Do?

An Indiana township trustee is the elected executive of township government. The trustee administers township assistance, manages township finances and records, oversees township property, and carries out other responsibilities assigned by state law.

Franklin, an orange cat with his mouth open, asks: What does a township trustee do?
Meet Franklin, the Center Township Cat. He has questions, too.

Township assistance

Helping residents meet essential needs

One of the trustee’s most important responsibilities is administering township assistance. Depending on eligibility and the township’s written standards, assistance may address essential needs such as:

  • Food and household necessities
  • Housing and shelter
  • Gas, electric, and water service
  • Necessary medical care
  • Burial or cremation when no other resources are available

Applications must be reviewed consistently under Indiana law and the township’s published eligibility standards.

Public administration

Managing public money and records

The trustee prepares a proposed township budget, pays and records township expenses, manages township property, maintains records of official proceedings, and keeps public records available for inspection as required by law. The trustee also reports the township’s receipts, expenditures, investments, and debts.

Property and public services

Cemeteries, fire protection, and other duties

Indiana law assigns trustees additional responsibilities that may apply differently from one township to another. These can include:

  • Maintaining certain abandoned or township cemeteries
  • Providing fire and emergency protection in territory outside incorporated cities and towns
  • Addressing certain noxious-weed complaints
  • Serving as a fence viewer in qualifying property disputes

The exact combination of services depends on the township’s geography, property, local arrangements, and responsibilities under Indiana law.

Official sources

About these sources: Center Township, Grant County does not currently maintain an IN.gov page explaining the trustee’s responsibilities. The resources below come from official State of Indiana and local-government pages serving other Indiana townships and counties. They are included because township trustees operate under Indiana law and statewide accounting requirements. Local programs, procedures, and available services may vary by township.

Reviewed September 24, 2026.

Return to the Center Township Team homepage