Town Government

Hagerstown government consists of the Town Council, the Town Manager, the Clerk-Treasurer, the Plan Commission, and the Board of Zoning Appeals. The town also has a police department which operates under a town marshal system, as well as a volunteer fire department.

Town Council

• Legislative and executive body for the town
• Composed of five members
• Four-year terms for members
• Staggered elections prevent an all-new council from taking office in any given year

Town Manager

• Administrative head of town management
• Holds limited executive powers
• Hired by the Town Council
• Oversees daily functions of the town

Clerk-Treasurer

• Fiscal officer of the town
• Elected, four-year term
• Duties include record maintenance, collecting and dispersing monies, maintaining financial records, recording town council proceedings, issuing licenses

Plan Commission

• Planning and zoning advisory board of the town
• Composed of nine members
  • Three members are from town government
  • Four members are appointed citizens from inside town limits
    • No more than two citizen members may be from the same political party
    • Citizen members appointed to four-year terms
  • Two members are appointed from the two mile fringe around the town
    • Must be from differing political parties
    • Appointed to four-year terms

Board of Zoning Appeals

• Hears requests for appeal or variance from zoning regulations
• Also makes planning-related decisions
• Five-member board
  • Three members appointed by Town Council President, one of whom must be Plan Commission member
  • One citizen member appointed by Town Council
  • One member appointed by Plan Commission
  • The member appointed by Plan Commission plus one other member must be residents of the unincorporated area under jurisdiction of Hagerstown zoning law

Hagerstown Police Department

• Operates under town marshal system, as defined by Indiana law
• Marshal is appointed by Town Council and reports to Town Council President

Land Use and Zoning Code

An inventory of current land uses in Hagerstown is useful in making future land use decisions and changes to development ordinances. Land uses are typically divided into several categories: residential, commercial and business, industrial, community, farmland, and undeveloped land.

Residential

• Currently occupies the most land area in Hagerstown
• Majority of housing is single-family detached units, developed into neighborhood blocks
• Limited number of higher-density residences are available

Commercial

• Downtown Hagerstown and State Road 38 are primarily devoted to government and commercial uses
• Commercial uses are focused in the downtown area, along with some segments east of town near State Road 1

Industrial

• Occupies most land area following residential uses
• Three industrial parks are located in Hagerstown

Community

• Public land use includes the schools, library, municipal buildings, cemetery, water treatment plant, post office, parks
• Other community lands include those held by utility companies, churches, and local clubs and organizations

Agricultural

• Much of the land in Jefferson Township is considered prime farmland and used for agriculture