Editing Morgan County, Indiana (section)

==Government==
{{see also|Government of Indiana}}
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the [[Constitution of Indiana]] and the [[Indiana Code]]. The county council is the fiscal branch of the county government and controls spending and revenue collection. Four Council members are elected from county districts, and three are elected at-large by the entire county electorate. The council members serve four-year terms and are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of optional income taxes and the property tax levy that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes and service taxes.<ref name=inc3623>{{cite web|author=Indiana Code|author-link=Indiana Code|url=http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title36/ar2/ch3.html|title=Title 36, Article 2, Section 3|access-date=September 16, 2008|publisher=Government of Indiana}}</ref><ref name=inc2102>{{cite web|author=Indiana Code|url=http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title3/ar10/ch2.pdf|title=Title 2, Article 10, Section 2|access-date=September 16, 2008|format=PDF|publisher=Government of Indiana}}</ref>

The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue and manage the county government.<ref name=inc3623/><ref name=inc2102/>

The county maintains a [[small claims court]] that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level [[circuit court]].<ref name=inc2102/>

The county has other elected offices, including [[sheriff]], [[coroner]], [[auditor]], [[treasurer]], [[recorder of deeds|recorder]], [[surveying|surveyor]] and circuit [[court clerk]]. These officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare [[political party|party]] affiliations and be residents of the county.<ref name=inc2102/>

Each township has a [[Indiana Township Trustee|trustee]] who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties.<ref name=TD/> The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unitedtownships.org/?page_id=95|title=Government|publisher=United Township Association of Indiana|access-date=January 6, 2011}}</ref>

Morgan County is the southernmost county within Indiana's [[Indiana's 4th congressional district|fourth district]]; the only intact county within [[Indiana Senate]] district 37;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iga.in.gov/information/senate-district-map|title=Indiana Senate District Map|publisher=Indiana General Assembly|access-date=October 23, 2024}}</ref> and is split between [[Indiana House of Representatives]] districts 57 and 60.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iga.in.gov/information/house-district-map|title=Indiana House District Map|publisher=Indiana General Assembly|access-date=October 23, 2024}}</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Morgan County, Indiana|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|26,965|7,765|693|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|27,512|7,781|928|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|23,674|6,040|1,732|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|19,591|7,969|765|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|18,129|10,330|352|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|19,197|6,650|182|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|15,286|6,228|522|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|12,872|5,812|2,912|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|10,939|4,690|5,478|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|14,284|5,375|77|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|14,884|4,627|96|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|13,321|5,439|678|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|10,983|7,181|145|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|11,980|3,390|65|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|8,944|4,042|3,144|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|8,347|7,011|70|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|9,416|5,375|69|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|8,318|4,735|50|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|8,222|4,755|95|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|5,677|4,428|192|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|6,115|4,156|77|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|6,613|4,895|36|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|5,793|5,451|84|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|4,825|5,775|195|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|5,464|3,933|63|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|5,328|4,042|216|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|5,634|4,254|181|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|2,860|2,616|237|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|1,353|2,608|1,623|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|3,074|2,789|167|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|3,119|2,428|216|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|2,904|2,632|116|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|2,688|2,414|44|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|2,377|2,014|244|Indiana}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Republican|2,500|2,077|89|Indiana}}