Martinsville City Council held its regular meeting at 7pm on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. Alderman Chris Davidson was absent.
During public comment:
Jonathan Burns from the Human Resources Center of Edgar and Clark Counties addressed the council regarding a “bridge funding” request. Burns previously briefed the council on the services HRC provides to students in Martinsville schools and noted that the organization is currently assisting six students.
He explained that HRC had encountered billing issues following the death of its former finance executive, but said a new finance director and executive director have since been hired, with a billing agent soon to follow. Burns also reported that the recent Bingo Night at Sassafras Ridge was highly successful, allowing him to reduce his funding request from nearly $8,000 to $6,800.
Splash Pad Bid
Shannon Woodard of Stone & Waggoner updated the council on the splash pad project at the Martinsville Recreation Complex. Two bids were received and opened on November 7. Most project funding will come from the OSLAD grant awarded to the City earlier this year.
Woodard noted that the OSLAD grant provides up to $600,000 with no required City match. Approximately $30,000 has already been spent on the pickleball/basketball courts. The full project estimate — including courts, equipment, and engineering — was approximately $704,000, leaving about $135,000 for the City to cover.
The council chose to remove the bleachers from the project to reduce costs but will keep the concrete pads so visitors can place lawn chairs. Members discussed adding bleachers later, potentially through community fundraising.
With these deletions, the revised project cost is approximately $642,000, reducing the City’s share to around $73,000. The council approved the bid from Kiefer Brothers in the amount of $612,928, with modifications to be addressed through a change order at signing.
Tax Levy 2025
The council discussed the proposed tax levy for 2025. Treasurer Terri Connelly presented a breakdown of the levy with examples of potential rate increases. She noted that any increase above 4.99% would require a Truth in Taxation public hearing.
Mayor Robert Lovell explained to council members that in years previous, the tax levy was prepared by former City Attorney Richard Bernardoni. He noted that the City of Martinsville had not had an increase requiring a Truth in Taxation hearing that he could remember.
Council discussion focused on how rate changes would affect homeowners. Connelly’s worksheets illustrated estimated increases across various property values. In earlier meetings, officials noted that no money had been allocated to the Streets fund, resulting in all Streets and Alleys projects being paid from the General Fund.
It was further emphasized that any increase affects only the City’s portion of a property tax bill. For a $100,000 property, a 4.99% increase would raise the City share by roughly $6; a 15% increase would raise it by about $24. The council approved a 15% increase, with the additional revenue directed to the Streets fund.
A Truth in Taxation public hearing will be held at 6:30pm on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
The council also approved the following actions:
- Approved the minutes of the regular meeting held October 22, 2025.
- Approved the Treasurer’s Report
- Approved payment of bills in the amount of $78,379.50
