Ackelmire v. North Vermillion Community School Corp.

558 N.E.2d 916, 1990 Ind. Tax LEXIS 9, 1990 WL 114418
CourtIndiana Tax Court
DecidedAugust 3, 1990
DocketNo. 83T05-8909-TA-00040
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 558 N.E.2d 916 (Ackelmire v. North Vermillion Community School Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ackelmire v. North Vermillion Community School Corp., 558 N.E.2d 916, 1990 Ind. Tax LEXIS 9, 1990 WL 114418 (Ind. Super. Ct. 1990).

Opinion

FISHER, Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on the following motions: Sharolyn Ackel-mire's (Ackelmire) motion for judgment on the pleadings, petition for certification of class and for notice to the class; and, the - North Vermillion Board of School Trustees' (School Board) and the Indiana State Board of Tax Commissioners' (State Board) joint petition to declare action a public lawsuit and for plaintiff's [sic] to post bond.

Facts

The North Vermillion Community School Board held an executive session and meeting on February 20, 1989. Either at this meeting or sometime prior to it members of the School Board and Superintendent Renz decided to send letters to a few people in the community in order to obtain their views on building a new school. Notice of this decision was not given to the public. The meeting, held on February 27, and not preceded with public notice, was attended by school board members, school administrators and those who received a letter of invitation. At the next meeting, held on March 13, 1989, the School Board voted to accept a recommendation given by Indiana State University calling for a consolidation of the three elementary schools in the district. The agenda posted prior to the March meeting stated that there would be a "General overview" of the study and the Board would "officially adopt their recommendations." The relevant minutes of the meeting provided:

The board and audience were then made aware of the Indiana State Educational and Facility Study and its recommendation by the superintendent. Following the brief presentation three motions were made: 1) [members] moved and ... seconded to accept the study ... [and members] moved and ... seconded to adopt the recommendations as presented. [Both motions passed]. - [Members] moved and seconded [to] go on record to raise the Capital Projects Fund to $1.00 for 3 years to accrue money for the purpose of construction of a new elementary school on the site of land presently owned by the corporation north of the high school. The motion passed, 6-0. Supt. Renz made the board aware that the Capital Projects Fund would now be advertised and presented for official adoption at its April 10 regular meeting. The board also will use March 27, at 7:00 in the high school auditorium for a time to explain the Capital Projects and to answer questions about the recommendations to the public.

Plaintiffs' Exhibit 19.

Notice of the April 10 meeting was published on March 29, in two local newspapers, the Daily Clintonian and the Herald News. Only 12 of the 328 people who owned property in Vermillion County but lived outside the county received either of these papers. The School Board made no inquiry into the newspapers' circulation. The notice appears in Appendix A.

At the April 10 meeting the School Board voted to establish a "Capital Projects Fund" and adopted a plan pursuant to IC 21-2-15. 'The School Board submitted the March 29 notice to the Indiana State Board of Tax Commissioners for approval. The State Board approved the notice and published one notice of the School Board's establishment of the Capital Projects Fund in the same two newspapers on May 24. The notice set forth a general outline of the plan and directed taxpayers to file objections to the plan within ten days. Remon-strators filed objections with the Vermillion County auditor on June 2, 1989. Sharolyn Ackelmire did not sign the remonstrance petition.

The remonstrance hearing was held on June 29, 1989. Sharolyn Ackelmire knew [918]*918about the hearing by June 25, 1989, but chose not to attend. The remonstrators objected to the Capital Projects Fund on the grounds that the notice given was unreasonable and insufficient. The language used in the remonstrance petition can be found in Appendix B. After the hearing, and upon the Property Tax Control Board's recommendation, the State Board approved the Capital Projects Fund on August 24, 1989.

Ackelmire, who owns property in Vermillion County but lives 84 miles outside the county, contends that the notice was not sufficient and that the School Board knew the names of the county property owners and should have sent personal notices of the April meeting to those property owners who resided outside the county. Their names were easily ascertainable by examining tax and school records..

The School Board contends that only one notice of publication was necessary and it did not have a duty to notify any taxpayers by mail.

Discussion and Decision

The following issues are before the Court:

I.
A. Whether the action is a public lawsuit?
B. If so, must the Plaintiffs post bond?
IL
A. Whether there are any genuine issues of material fact of whether the Plaintiffs' due process rights under the Indiana and United States Constitutions have been violated?
i. Did the School Board follow the statute prescribing notice?
ii. Did the content of the notice adequately inform taxpayers of the purpose for the meeting?
iii. Does due process require more notice than the statute provides?

This Court's review is limited to determining whether the State Board's Order is supported by substantial evidence, is an abuse of discretion, is in excess of statutory authority, or is arbitrary or capricious. Bailey Seed Farms, Inc. v. State Bd. of Tax Comm'rs (1989), Ind. Tax, 542 N.E.2d 1389, 1 391.

I.

A. PUBLIC LAWSUIT

The School Board and the State Board filed a joint motion to declare the action a public lawsuit, contending that this is a public lawsuit pursuant to IC 34-4-17-1, et seq., because Ackelmire challenges the construction of the school. Ackelmire contends the challenge goes only to notice, and, as class representative, she can not adequately represent those taxpayers who own property in the county and also reside in the county.

IC 34-4-17-1(b) provides in pertinent part:

'Public lawsuit' shall mean any action whereby the validity, location, wisdom, feasibility, extent or character of construction, financing or leasing of any public improvement by any municipal corporation is questioned directly or indirectly, including but not limited to suits for declaratory judgments or injunctions to declare invalid or to enjoin such construction, financing or leasing, and shall mean any action to declare invalid or enjoin the creation, organization or formation of any municipal corporation.

(Emphasis added.)

In the original petition filed with the Vermillion Cireuit Court (Plaintiffs' Exhibit 1), and transferred to the Tax Court, Ackel-mire requested that the school corporation and the board of trustees be restrained from "[eclonducting any negotiations or making any plans to employ any architects, engineers, surveyors or any persons of any description for the purpose of constructing the consolidated elementary grade school." This pleading fits "directly or indirectly" into IC 34-4-17-1(b)'s language "to declare invalid or to enjoin such construction, financing or leasing."

[919]

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Related

Graber v. State Board of Tax Commissioners
727 N.E.2d 802 (Indiana Tax Court, 2000)
Bell v. State Board of Tax Commissioners
651 N.E.2d 816 (Indiana Tax Court, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
558 N.E.2d 916, 1990 Ind. Tax LEXIS 9, 1990 WL 114418, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ackelmire-v-north-vermillion-community-school-corp-indtc-1990.