STATEHOUSE — The Indiana State Comptroller’s Office has again received the highest honor in financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA), announced State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla today.
“This affirms that the accounting of Indiana’s finances is performed with discipline, transparency and accuracy,” stated Comptroller Nieshalla. “Indiana continues to set the standard for fiscal responsibility, and our office is proud to receive this award that acknowledges the excellence of our State’s financial reporting. The achievement of accuracy in accounting and reporting is critical to obtaining the state’s AAA credit rating.”
As announced by Gov. Mike Braun last week, Indiana again earned a AAA credit rating from all three major rating agencies: Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings. That distinction reflects the State’s continued financial strength, balanced budgets and precise reporting.
“We are proud to contribute to our State earning a AAA credit rating,” said Comptroller Nieshalla. “With a high credit rating, we can borrow at lower interest rates which saves taxpayer dollars. For investors, it signals confidence. For Hoosiers, it means stability and long-term value.”
Indiana’s financial standing is among the strongest in the nation as the fourth lowest debt per capita state with well-funded pensions and a healthy cash reserve.
GFOA awarded the State Comptroller’s Office the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, recognizing the team’s dedicated efforts on Indiana’s 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).Prepared annually by the State Comptroller and audited by the Indiana State Board of Accounts, the ACFR provides a complete and transparent account of Hoosier tax dollars at work.
In addition to financial data, the ACFR includes demographic, economic and statistical information that helps policymakers, analysts and the public understand the full scope of Indiana’s fiscal health.
It’s no secret that Indiana’s voting performance is abysmal. Hoosiers have no problem registering to vote but often don’t make it to the polls.
That’s why I was intrigued by a meeting on two election proposals — moving municipal elections to even-numbered years and expanding vote centers to all counties — held in Indianapolis last week.
Lawmakers mandated that Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales host a series of meetings on the ideas and provide a report for possible action in the 2026 legislative session.
Increasing voter turnout should be everyone’s goal. To me, the vote center proposal is an easy yes.
Instead of having dozens of precinct locations scattered across a county with voters assigned to only one, officials set up a handful of large locations that anyone can use regardless of where they live.
Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales speaks during a public hearing on potential election law changes on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Indianapolis. (Casey Smith/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
The model is used in 67 of Indiana’s 92 counties. It costs less and requires less staffing. The latter is important as many longtime poll workers age and can no longer volunteer.
Boone County, where I live, moved to vote centers in 2014. It was a smooth transition and has been a welcome change. I have voted in Lebanon on my way to the grocery store or in Whitestown on my way to work. I’m not pinned to only one location — I can fit voting within my day more easily.
I have never waited more than 15 minutes. Counties still need to provide enough machines to avoid long lines, though, and they shouldn’t skimp and set up too few vote centers.
Indiana law requires at least one vote center location per 10,000 voters but I consider that a minimum and believe officials should plan for more than that.
Allen County is the largest that doesn’t use vote centers, but officials there are in discussions to change that. They have 110 polling locations, which would be consolidated into 53 — or one for every 5,000 voters.
A vote is planned for Sept. 15 and must be unanimous.
The second proposal Morales is studying isn’t ready for prime time: moving municipal elections to even-numbered years alongside major races such as president, the U.S. House and Senate, governor, other statewide offices and the Indiana House and Senate.
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The data is clear that turnout is much lower in municipal races.
In 2023, for example, turnout in Indiana’s municipal elections was about 27% statewide. That compared with roughly 42% voter participation in the 2022 midterm elections and 61% in the 2020 presidential election.
But that isn’t the whole picture.
Right now, your mayoral race or city council contests are the focus of that election cycle. Candidates, news media and voters can focus on local issues, from growth strategies and road funding to zoning issues and crime.
But if you add those to an already busy ballot, those races will be buried behind federal and state politics. If voters make it all the way through those races — and that’s a big if — they will be without the benefit of a sustained and direct season focusing only on local matters.
Local races in recent years have gained real importance, whether it be related to controversial data centers or solar panel farms. People are paying attention, and I would hate to see that jeopardized.
While those are the only two proposals under consideration, I did want to mention a few other election changes that have been passed in other states to make elections more efficient and flexible for voters.
Extended voting hours. Indiana’s polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day and I think that’s plenty. Especially since Hoosiers have four weeks beforehand to cast an early vote in person at the county courthouse or other satellite location, there is plenty of time for people to vote.
Same-day registration. Indiana had 4.8 million registered voters for the 2024 general election, while the state has a total population 0f 6.9 milliion. And of course, some residents aren’t old enough to vote. I personally don’t think registration is issue. The problem is getting people to the polls. This change would be a heavy lift for no real improvement.
Ranked-choice voting. Some jurisdictions are adopting this and have seen turnout increases of between five and seven percentage points. This option allows voters to rank candidates for an office in order of their preference. If a candidate receives more than half of the first choices, that candidate wins, just like in any other election. However, if there is no majority winner after counting the first choices, the race is decided by an instant runoff. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters who ranked that candidate as their first choice will have their votes count for their next choice. This process continues until a majority winner, a candidate with more than half of the vote, wins. It’s complicated and I don’t think Hoosiers are ready for it.
I wish I knew the answer to getting more voters to go to the polls. I understand frustration over House and Senate districts, which people may feel are predetermined by gerrymandered maps.
But most races are statewide and local, where every vote absolutely cou
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FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
EVANSVILLE, Ind.– University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer falls to crosstown foe the University of Evansville 3-0 in the fourth annual Mayor’s Cup Saturday night at Strassweg Field.
Following a season-high two goals in the loss to Indiana University Indianapolis on September 6, the Screaming Eagles were unable to find the back of the net against the Purple Aces.
Evansville came out of the gate firing, scoring in the first four minutes of the match. The offensive intensity continued for the Aces as they put another one in the net at the 10:35 mark. The Eagles’ defense continued to falter with a third first-half goal allowed in the 23rd minute of the match.
USI trailed 3-0 entering the half, while being outshot 13-3. The Eagles applied offensive pressure of their own, tallying a shot on goal from both freshman Chase Smith and freshman Brian Novillo. Freshman goalkeeper Jacob English saved two shots in the first 45.
The second half saw the Eagles’ defense tighten up, not allowing a goal despite giving up 11 second-half shots. Junior goalkeeper Kael McGowan subbed in at the start of the second half, recording a season high six saves.
USI’s best second-half opportunity came off the head of sophomore forward David Davilain the 78th minute, which was caught by the Aces goalkeeper. Davila had both of USI’s second-half shots on goal, taking his season total to a team high four.
In the game, USI was outshot 24-5 and 11-4 on goal. The Eagles were only able to generate one corner kick in the game compared to 10 taken by the Aces. Southern Indiana led in total saves, as the combination of goalkeepers tallied eight saves on the night compared to Evansville’s four.
USI concludes its five-game homestand on Wednesday as it hosts Belmont University at Strassweg Field. Kickoff for Wednesday’s match is slated for 6 p.m. and can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team secured the Mayor’s Cup for the third straight season on Saturday night, taking down USI 3-0 at Strassweg Field. All three Evansville goals were scored by freshmen, as Andres Escudero (San Sebastián de los Reyes, Spain IES Joan Miro) posted his first career brace and Chase Ricker (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva) scored his first collegiate goal.
Evansville’s attack was active early, as the Aces jumped on the Screaming Eagles with three goals in the first 23 minutes of play. In the fourth minute, Álvaro Timón (Toledo, Spain/Valencia International University) found Will Bencic (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) on the left wing, who put a beautiful cross into the box for Escudero. From there, the freshman snuck a shot past the USI keeper to give the Aces the lead.
Evansville struck again just over six minutes later on a scoring chance started by Matt Hawkins (Louisville, Ky./Male), who sent a long ball to Ricker for a one-on-one scoring chance. After making his way into the left side of the box, the freshman unleashed a laser of a shot over the keeper and into the back of the net for his first collegiate goal.
The scoring continued in the 23rd minute when the Aces drew a foul in the box to earn a penalty kick. Escudero stepped up to the spot and buried a shot, securing the brace and giving Evansville a 3-0 lead.
UE would continue to threaten throughout the remainder of the first half, putting up seven more shots, but the Aces were not able to add onto their lead. Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill./Elk Grove) kept his clean sheet in-tact with a diving save just before halftime to help his team go into the break with a 3-0 lead.
Evansville did not let up in the second half, tallying 11 more shots. However, the Aces were kept off the board, while Mroz made two more saves to secure his first shutout and Evansville’s first win of the season.
“I thought the first half performance was really good,” said Head Coach Robbe Tarver. “Obviously some great goals to start the game with Andres after a nice passing sequence and then Chase just hitting a banger. It was probably our most complete first half that we’ve had.”
“Obviously really happy about win number one. It’s hard to win, so we’re going to celebrate wins that we get, and now we need to use this to keep moving forward.”
Evansville matched a season-high with 24 shots, out-shooting USI 24-5, while the Aces’ 11 shots on goal marked a season-high. Timón tallied a game-high four shots, while Escudero, Martin Wurschmidt (Stavern, Norway/Thor Heyerdahl VGS) and Armon Haghighat (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley CC) each had two shots on goal.
With the win, Evansville moves to 1-2-4 on the season. The Aces will be back in action on Wednesday for a road test at Dayton. Kick-off is set for 6 PM CT.
Philippians 2 vs. 3 says; “Let nothing be through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Just think about
what this world would be like if we embrace those words. Vs. 5 says; “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others.”
Today in the midst of all the political bickering as well as the evil on display in this country, and throughout the world, we need to defer to the wisdom of God in
the spirit of humility. We need God’s mercy today! He sent us His grace in the person of Jesus Christ, and we need to pray to Him, to petition the LORD to
help us out of the mess we are in today. As to this country, we use to be referred to as a Christian nation. Consider the meaning of the words in 2nd. Chronicles 7
vss. 1 thru 4 where Solomon dedicated the temple at that time. The bible says; “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and
consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house. When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came
down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is
good, for His mercy endures forever.” In speaking of the mercy of God in Psalms 136 the words “For His mercy endures forever,” are mentioned 26 times. Be
advised, He is the exact same God today.So let us pray. Listen to the words in 2nd Chronicles 7 vss. 12 thru 15 which says; “Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by
night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or
command locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.”Strongly consider
the words in Psalms 46 vs. 1 which says; “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Again I say; Let us pray. We need God’s mercy today!
