09/04/2026
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH CORYDON’S TAX DOLLARS?
I have been digging through Corydon’s public financial records and State Board of Accounts reports.
And I found some things that I think taxpayers need to know.
Yesterday, I also received a tip from a source I trust that people from the Indiana State Board of Accounts were in Corydon looking at town financial problems.
I have NOT confirmed that with the State Board of Accounts yet, so I want to be clear:
That part is a tip, not a confirmed fact.
But after reading Corydon’s past audit reports, I can understand why the town’s finances may be getting another look.
Here is one of the biggest problems the State has already found:
• In 2023, some local income tax money was put into the wrong town funds.
• Because of that, Corydon’s General Fund was shown $122,985 lower than it should have been.
• The Motor Vehicle Highway Fund was shown $61,492 too high.
• The Local Road & Street Fund was shown $61,493 too high.
So the money did not just disappear.
But it was being recorded in the wrong places.
Think of it like putting your grocery money in the electric bill envelope.
You may still have the money, but now your records are wrong and you do not really know how much money is available for each need.
The State Board of Accounts also found:
• Bank records did not fully match the town’s books.
• There was not enough proof that someone was checking and approving the bank work.
• Grant money was reported incorrectly.
• The town did not have strong enough controls to make sure money was being recorded correctly.
• Some financial problems had already been found in earlier audits.
That does NOT prove someone stole money.
But it DOES prove Corydon has had problems keeping track of public money correctly.
And that is what made me start looking more closely at Cedar Hill Cemetery.
Here is what I found:
• Corydon has $190,081 budgeted for the Cemetery Fund in 2026.
• Almost $100,000 of that is tied to a property tax levy.
• In 2024, the Town Council also approved moving $30,000 from the General Fund into the Cemetery Fund to cover cemetery expenses.
• Corydon’s own paperwork says the town has traditionally used General Fund money to help pay for the cemetery.
• There is also a separate private Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation with more than $1 million in assets.
• There is also a Harrison County Community Foundation fund that has helped pay cemetery expenses.
Cedar Hill IS a cemetery maintained by the Town of Corydon.
So I am not saying the town should spend no money on it.
What I am asking is this:
• Why does the cemetery need a $190,081 town budget?
• What exactly does that money pay for?
• How much comes from taxpayers?
• How much comes from the private cemetery foundation?
• How much comes from burial fees and other cemetery income?
• How much General Fund money has been moved into the cemetery over the years?
• Who is checking all of these different sources of money?
• And are we sure every dollar is being put into the correct fund?
That last question matters because the State has already found that Corydon was putting some money into the wrong funds.
And Corydon has other needs too.
• Police need equipment and training.
• Streets need work.
• Buildings need repairs.
• Other departments need funding too.
So when one fund has almost $200,000 budgeted, taxpayers have every right to ask:
Why?
Where is the money going?
Is it being tracked correctly?
Maybe there is a perfectly good explanation.
If there is, show us.
That is transparency.
That is accountability.
And this is OUR money.
đź’ś Help Harrison County with Sarah Blessing
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HERE’S WHERE I GOT MY REPORTING — DON’T JUST BELIEVE ME, CHECK IT YOURSELF
• Indiana State Board of Accounts — Town of Corydon 2023–2024 audit
• This is where the $122,985 General Fund problem comes from.
• The audit says 4 of 12 local income tax distributions were put into the wrong funds.
• It also lists the $61,492 and $61,493 errors in the road funds.
• Search the State Board of Accounts audit reports for Town of Corydon, Harrison County, report 81620S.
• Indiana Department of Local Government Finance — 2026 Harrison County Budget Order
• This is where the $190,081 Cemetery Fund budget comes from.
• It also shows the $99,933 property tax levy for the Cemetery Fund.
• Look for Corydon Civil Town and fund 2120 — Cemetery.
• Town of Corydon public records — February 2024 transfer resolution
• This is where the $30,000 transfer from the General Fund to the Cemetery Fund comes from.
• The resolution also says the town has traditionally funded the Cemetery Fund through the General Fund.
• Search Corydon’s public documents for the General Fund to Cemetery Fund transfer approved in February 2024.
• Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation — federal nonprofit filings
• This is where the information about the private cemetery foundation comes from.
• Public federal nonprofit records show the foundation has more than $1 million in assets.
• Search Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation Incorporated, Corydon, Indiana on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
• Harrison County Community Foundation
• This is where the information about another cemetery support fund comes from.
• The Community Foundation has a fund set up to help support Cedar Hill Cemetery expenses.
Please check the records for yourself.
If I misunderstand something, I want Corydon officials to explain it.
