Indiana Supreme Court will weigh in on Bloomington annexation case

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Bloomington’s multi-year fight to expand its city borders will head to the highest court in the state.

After being held up in appeals court and halted by lawsuits, the Indiana Supreme Court agreed to weigh in on the City of Bloomington’s nearly decade-long effort to expand its borders.

Back in 2021, former Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton said the city planned to annex 9,500 acres of property that currently sits outside the city limits. If the annexation goes through, this would add roughly 15,000 residents to Bloomington’s population while expanding the city’s footprint by nearly 50%.

The residents who live within the annexation zone currently pay tax dollars to the county, not the City of Bloomington, yet regularly use the city’s public services like roads, police and parks, Hamilton previously explained.

A nonprofit group, called County Residents Against Annexation, has pushed back against the city’s attempt to annex the land. The group filed a lawsuit in 2013.

With the annexation grinding to a halt due to the various legal battles, the matter may finally be settled once and for all. The Indiana Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case on Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. at the Indiana Statehouse.