MADISON COUNTY WATER WATCH
🛑 STOP Madison County Project Predators!
📢 SIGN our PETITIONs (Opposition):
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Say NO to the R.U.D. (Regional Utility District) UNICORPORATED
Property Owners ONLY from Monroe Township
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Say NO to the R.U.D. (Regional Utility District)
Madison County IN (Voters)
✍️ Take a Stand with Us
Madison County residents are done being ignored. We are not just voices online—we are your neighbors, veterans, farmers, parents, and small business owners who believe in fairness, transparency, and protecting property rights.
🖊️ Sign the petition.
📣 Share with your neighbors.
📅 Show up when it counts.
We will not be silent while our community is carved up
for special interests.
👉 [SIGN NOW] Click on the links below to be redirected to the e-petitions.
Petitions for Madison County Indiana:
🛑 Stop the 8th St. Greenway Project
📢 SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-8th-street-greenway-project-in-madison-county-in-2025
We are calling on all Madison County residents and concerned Hoosiers to stand with us in opposing eminent domain and forced property seizures for the proposed 8th St. Greenway Project.
💬 If you haven’t signed the hard copy petition, please sign the online petition today. All signatures—both physical and electronic—will be compiled into a master list and submitted to County officials within the next 90 days. Our goal is 5,000 signatures in strong opposition to this taxpayer-funded boondoggle.
🔍 Why We Oppose the 8th St. Greenway Project:
🚨 Eminent Domain Abuse: Property owners are being threatened with losing land they’ve lived on and paid taxes on for generations. We are not against progress—we are against stealing land to fund pet projects for the politically connected.
💸 Conflicts of Interest: Multiple elected and appointed officials—especially members of the Likens family—sit on planning boards and own property directly along the proposed Greenway route. These properties would increase in value, and yet no Conflict-of-Interest disclosures were filed during the 2021–2022 or by 2025 planning process. (1 Parks Board Member filed)
🏞️ Anchor Parks Before a Full Plan: The Madison County Parks Board voted in July 2025 to move forward with two "anchor parks" at a cost of $1.2 million each. But there is no realistic plan or budget to fund the remaining 5.5–8 mile trail. This is not responsible governance—this is a speculative gamble with our tax dollars.
💰 Misuse of ARPA Funds: These federal pandemic relief funds were meant to support those hardest hit by COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown. Instead, they are being used to bankroll trail systems and land speculation by insiders. This is a betrayal of public trust.
📍 Trail Starts and Ends Near Politically Connected Properties:
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Begins near Dianna Likens’ residence and Nancy Anderson (Parks Board).
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Ends near Perkinsville Cemetery, surrounded by land owned by former County Commissioner Darlene Likens and her husband.
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There is no public record of the Likens families offering to donate land—instead, the county would likely pay them to complete the project.
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Parks Board Member Ben Orcutt with also financially benefit from the completion of a bike trail. He owns the only Bike Shop in Anderson, Indiana. His shop sales high end bikes costing thousands of dollars.
The ARPA Funds were not meant to help others get richer while those who suffered great loss during the Pandemic.
🧍♀️ Real People. Real Opposition.
When over 40 property owners showed up to a community meeting in Lapel, the message was clear: They don’t want this trail running through their properties. That should have been enough to pause the project. Instead, County officials are moving forward anyway.
We’ve spoken directly with officials, businesspeople, and bureaucrats at events like the 4H Fair—many of whom support the project without understanding the full scope, or worse, benefit directly from it. We are not ok with their actions towards other residents in Madison County, IN.
✍️ Take a Stand with Us
Madison County residents are done being ignored. We are not just voices online—we are your neighbors, veterans, farmers, parents, and small business owners who believe in fairness, transparency, and protecting property rights.
🖊️ Sign the petition.
📣 Share with your neighbors.
📅 Show up when it counts.
We will not be silent while our community is carved up
for special interests.
👉 [SIGN NOW] https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-8th-street-greenway-project-in-madison-county-in-2025
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Say NO to the Regional Utility District R.U.D. Unincorporated Monroe Township Property Owners ONLY! Alexandria, Madison County, IN.
Petition Opposing the Formation of the Madison County Regional Utility District
📢 SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.change.org/p/say-no-to-the-r-u-d-regional-utility-district-unicorporated-property-owners-only
We, the undersigned residents, landowners, and concerned citizens of Madison County, firmly oppose the formation of the Madison County Regional Utility District (RUD).
We believe the establishment of this district poses unnecessary risks to our community, property rights, and local governance. Our reasons include, but are not limited to:
🔒 1. Protection of Property Rights & Risk to Property Rights and Autonomy
We are deeply concerned that the creation of RUD may lead to eminent domain and/or forced utility hookups, easements, infrastructure development, or other mandates that infringe upon our private property rights — especially for rural and agricultural landowners. We oppose any entity that could override local zoning or planning rules, compel land sales or easements, or otherwise infringe on property rights without robust checks and balances.
💰 2. Potential for Increased Taxes and Fees & Potential for Overreach and Increased Costs
Regional utility districts often carry the authority to levy taxes, impose fees, and issue debt. This could result in long-term financial burdens on residents without proper voter oversight or accountability. RUD Board Members would have the power to make decisions without asking for permission from County Elected Officials or the Public.
The establishment of a regional utility district can lead to increased taxation, fees, and bureaucratic expansion without direct accountability to the voters. Many fear that the RUD Board could assume powers to impose assessments, issue bonds, and make land use decisions that directly impact residents’ property rights. RUD should not have EMINENT DOMAIN POWER!!
🗣️ 3. Lack of Transparency and Public Input
The process surrounding the proposed creation of RUD has lacked adequate public notice, transparency, and meaningful community engagement. The process leading to this proposed district has been insufficiently publicized and rushed. Major decisions affecting our communities should involve open dialogue, public hearings, and direct input from affected citizens. Decisions affecting thousands of residents should not proceed without widespread awareness and consensus and/or informed consent and not forced compliance because of the failures of Madison County Elected/Appointed Officials.
🏡 4. Unnecessary Bureaucracy, Unclear Necessity, and Redundancy
There is no demonstrated need for a new utility district. Existing municipal utilities and local infrastructure systems already serve the area. There has been insufficient justification for why a new utility district is necessary. Existing local utilities and municipal services are already addressing infrastructure needs. Creating another layer of government could lead to redundancy, inefficiency, and waste of public resources. Adding another layer of government bureaucracy only adds confusion and inefficiency.
🌾 5. Threats to Rural Lifestyles and Agricultural Operations Impact on Rural Landowners and Farmers
VOTERS, Taxpayers, Many landowners and agricultural operators are concerned that the creation of RUD may lead to forced utility connections, easements, or development pressures that conflict with rural lifestyles and farming operations. Farmers, ranchers, and rural residents fear that this new district may accelerate development pressure, disrupt agricultural operations, and lead to regulations that are misaligned with the needs of our rural way of life.
We, the undersigned, respectfully demand that local and state authorities:
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Reject/Deny or suspend the formation of the Madison County Regional Utility District R.U.D.
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Pause all related actions until full public hearings and impact assessments can be completed.
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Ensure that any utility development occurs with full transparency, voluntary participation, and community-led planning.
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Conduct a thorough public review process, including hearings, impact studies, and resident referendums;
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Protect the voices and rights of local residents in all future utility or infrastructure decisions.
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Say NO to the use of Eminent Domain!
✍️ Sign Below to Say NO to the Regional Utility District
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Say NO to the R.U.D. (Regional Utility District)
MADISON COUNTY VOTERS: Rural Madison County needs our HELP!!
📢 SIGN THE PETITION:
https://www.change.org/p/say-no-to-the-r-u-d-regional-utility-district-madison-county-in-voters
Petition Opposing the Formation of the
Madison County Regional Utility District!
If the RUD gets past Monroe Township, then it will come after everyone else in rural areas next all over Madison County, Indiana.
We, the undersigned Madison County residents, landowners, and concerned citizens, firmly oppose the formation of the Madison County Regional Utility District (RUD).
We believe the establishment of this district poses unnecessary risks to our community, property rights, and local governance. Our reasons include, but are not limited to:
🔒 1. Protection of Property Rights & Risk
to Property Rights and Autonomy
We are deeply concerned that the creation of RUD may lead to eminent domain and/or forced utility hookups, easements, infrastructure development, or other mandates that infringe upon our private property rights — especially for rural and agricultural landowners. We oppose any entity that could override local zoning or planning rules, compel land sales or easements, or otherwise infringe on property rights without robust checks and balances.
💰 2. Potential for Increased Taxes and Fees & Potential for Overreach and Increased Costs
Regional utility districts often carry the authority to levy taxes, impose fees, and issue debt. This could result in long-term financial burdens on residents without proper voter oversight or accountability. RUD Board Members would have the power to make decisions without asking for permission from County Elected Officials or the Public.
The establishment of a regional utility district can lead to increased taxation, fees, and bureaucratic expansion without direct accountability to the voters. Many fear that the RUD Board could assume powers to impose assessments, issue bonds, and make land use decisions that directly impact residents’ property rights. RUD should not have EMINENT DOMAIN POWER!!
🗣️ 3. Lack of Transparency and Public Input
The process surrounding the proposed creation of RUD has lacked adequate public notice, transparency, and meaningful community engagement. The process leading to this proposed district has been insufficiently publicized and rushed. Major decisions affecting our communities should involve open dialogue, public hearings, and direct input from affected citizens. Decisions affecting thousands of residents should not proceed without widespread awareness and consensus and/or informed consent and not forced compliance because of the failures of Madison County Elected/Appointed Officials.
🏡 4. Unnecessary Bureaucracy, Unclear Necessity, and Redundancy
There is no demonstrated need for a new utility district. Existing municipal utilities and local infrastructure systems already serve the area. There has been insufficient justification for why a new utility district is necessary. Existing local utilities and municipal services are already addressing infrastructure needs. Creating another layer of government could lead to redundancy, inefficiency, and waste of public resources. Adding another layer of government bureaucracy only adds confusion and inefficiency.
🌾 5. Threats to Rural Lifestyles and Agricultural Operations Impact on Rural Landowners and Farmers
VOTERS, Taxpayers, Many landowners and agricultural operators are concerned that the creation of RUD may lead to forced utility connections, easements, or development pressures that conflict with rural lifestyles and farming operations. Farmers, ranchers, and rural residents fear that this new district may accelerate development pressure, disrupt agricultural operations, and lead to regulations that are misaligned with the needs of our rural way of life.
We, the undersigned, respectfully demand that local and state authorities:
-
Reject/Deny or suspend the formation of the Madison County Regional Utility District R.U.D.:
-
Pause all related actions until full public hearings and impact assessments can be completed.
-
Ensure that any utility development occurs with full transparency, voluntary participation, and community-led planning.
-
Conduct a thorough public review process, including hearings, impact studies, and resident referendums;
-
Protect the voices and rights of local residents in all future utility or infrastructure decisions.
Say NO to the use of Eminent Domain use on the RUD Project and help us help the property owners protect their rights!
✍️ Sign Below to Say NO to the Regional Utility District
https://www.change.org/p/say-no-to-the-r-u-d-regional-utility-district-madison-county-in-voters
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