2025 Northwest Annexation

At its September 18, 2025 meeting, the Town of Syracuse, Indiana adopted Ordinance No. 2025-05, which annexes into Syracuse approximately 98.75 acres of land generally located northwest of the Town’s current boundaries west of the intersection of County Line Road and Huntington Street (in portions of Kosciusko County and Elkhart County). A copy of the Ordinance, with its attachments, is also available for review at the at the Syracuse Town Hall, 310 N Huntington Street, Syracuse, IN 46567. The Ordinance (without attachments) is as follows:

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TOWN OF SYRACUSE, INDIANA
ORDINANCE NO. 2025-05
AN ORDINANCE ANNEXING TERRITORY TO THE TOWN OF SYRACUSE,
PLACING THE SAME WITHIN THE CORPORATE BOUNDARIES THEREOF,
AND MAKING THE SAME A PART OF THE TOWN OF SYRACUSE
2025 Northwest Annexation

WHEREAS, the Town of Syracuse (“Town” or “Syracuse”) received petitions (“Petitions”) requesting that certain property generally located northwest of the Town’s current boundaries in Elkhart County west of the intersection of County Line Road and Huntington Street (“Petitioned Property”), be annexed by Syracuse; and

WHEREAS, in order to annex the Petitioned Property, the Town must annex additional contiguous property within Kosciusko County that, along with the Petitioned Property, is generally known as the “2025 Northwest Annexation Area”; and

WHEREAS, a legal description and map of the “2025 Northwest Annexation Area” is attached hereto as Exhibit A and Exhibit B, respectively (“Annexation Territory”); and

WHEREAS, where the legal description attached as Exhibit A describes land that is contiguous to a public highway right-of-way that has not previously been annexed, the Annexation Territory shall include the contiguous public highway right-of-way even if it is not described in Exhibit A, except to the extent prohibited by I.C. § 36-4-3-1.5(c); and

WHEREAS, where the parcel of property within the Annexation Territory is adjacent to a parcel of property within the existing Town limits, the Annexation Territory boundary shall conform to and match the boundary of the existing Town limits so long as it does not result in adding or removing parcels of property from the Annexation Territory depicted in Exhibit B; and

WHEREAS, the Annexation Territory consists of approximately 98.75 acres more or less, and is contiguous to the existing Town limits; and

WHEREAS, prior to the introduction of this Ordinance, the Town has provided notice to landowners and conducted an outreach program to inform citizens regarding the annexation; and

WHEREAS, prior to adoption of this Ordinance, the Town, by resolution, will have adopted a written fiscal plan and policy for the provision of services of both a non-capital and capital nature to the Annexation Territory that meets the requirements of I.C. § 36-4-3; and

WHEREAS, the terms and conditions of this annexation, including the written fiscal plan and policy, are fairly calculated to make the annexation fair and equitable to property owners and residents of the Annexation Territory and of the Town; and

WHEREAS, the Town has further determined the Annexation Territory is needed and can be used by the Town for its development in the reasonably near future; and

WHEREAS, the Town Council of Syracuse deems it desirable and in the best interests of the Town to annex the Annexation Territory; and

WHEREAS, prior to the final adoption of this Ordinance, the Town will have conducted a public hearing following proper notice issued as required by law; and

WHEREAS, the Town has also obtained the consent of the Elkhart County Commissioners for this annexation, as set forth in Elkhart County Commissioner Resolutions CO-2025-01 and CO-2025-10; and

WHEREAS, the Council finds that the annexation pursuant to the terms of this Ordinance is fair and equitable and should be accomplished.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF SYRACUSE, INDIANA, THAT:

SECTION 1. The above recitals including Exhibit A and Exhibit B are incorporated herein by this reference as though fully set forth herein below.

SECTION 2. In accordance with I.C. § 36-4-3 and other applicable laws, the Annexation Territory is hereby annexed to the Town and thereby included within its corporate boundaries pursuant to the terms of this Ordinance.

SECTION 3. The Annexation Territory is assigned to Council Ward 1.

SECTION 4. The Annexation Territory shall maintain its current zoning classification(s) and designation(s) until such time as the Town updates its respective comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance, or zoning map.

SECTION 5. As provided in I.C. § 36-4-3-4.1 and subject to future changes in applicable law, any real property in the Annexation Territory assessed as agricultural land (under the real property assessment rules and guidelines of the department of local government finance) is exempt from property tax liability under I.C. § 6-1.1 for municipal purposes, and is not considered a part of the Town for purposes of involuntarily annexing future additional territory, while the property’s assessment classification remains agricultural land.

SECTION 6. All prior Ordinances or parts thereof that may be inconsistent with any provision of this Ordinance are hereby superseded. The paragraphs, sentences, words, amendments, and Annexation Territory of this Ordinance are separable, and if a court of competent jurisdiction hereof declares any portion of this Ordinance or the Annexation Territory unconstitutional, invalid, or unenforceable for any reason, such declaration shall not affect the remaining portions of the Annexation Territory or this Ordinance.

SECTION 7. The effective date of this annexation shall be as soon as allowed by law following its adoption, execution, and publication as required by law.

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Any owners of real property within the area proposed to be annexed who want to remonstrate against the proposed annexation must complete and file remonstrance petitions in compliance with I.C 36-4-3. A remonstrance petition may not be filed by an owner of real property that is subject to a valid waiver of remonstrance. Remonstrance petitions must be filed not later than ninety (90) days after the date that notice of the adoption of the annexation ordinance was published under I.C. 36-4-3-7. The last date that remonstrance petitions must be filed with the county auditor to be valid is December 30, 2025. A remonstrance petition may also be signed at the following locations provided by the municipality:

Location/Dates/Time

Syracuse Town Hall
310 N Huntington Street
Syracuse, IN 46567
Weekdays (excluding holidays) Regular Business Hours
October 2, 2025 to December 30, 2025 to 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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Syracuse Community Center
1013 N. Long Drive
Syracuse, IN 46567
November 3, 2025 (Mon.) to November 6, 2025 (Thurs.)
Regular Business Hours 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
November 8, 2025 (Sat.) 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Town of Syracuse, Indiana
October 1, 2025