Message from the President
The County Surveyors Association is composed of dedicated men and women who have hearts to serve the citizens of their respective counties. The executive board thanks you for the opportunity to serve and represent the association.
The goal of our association is to promote and educate county surveyors in order that they might better serve their constituents. With this goal in mind we have created this website which will allow county surveyors and citizens across Indiana to find information about the role of the county surveyor quickly and efficiently. This website will allow better communication between the executive board and county surveyors around the state.
The Office of the County Surveyor is a functioning, positive resource within local government. The County Surveyor is the regulatory and technical authority to each local Drainage Board in an advisory capacity. County Surveyors are charged with the annual perpetuation of the original section corner monuments in each county. The perpetuation method used today in each county originated from a concept of Thomas Jefferson and formalized by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The Office of the County Surveyor is as diverse as each county. Many Surveyor offices house Geographic Information Systems (GIS), plat books, annexation maps, precinct maps and a myriad of other highly technical duties. As an example of diversity, my office in Newton County is responsible for the day to day operation of wild hemp eradication.
A recent initiative to reform county government includes redefining the function and responsibilities of the Office of the County Surveyor. While we as County Surveyors seek to build a more constructive union within local government, we realize that all segments of local government are being scrutinized. We understand that as societies evolve and become more sophisticated the Constitution of the State of Indiana has enough interpretive flexibility to recognize the importance of the County Surveyor. The extent of all landownership in the State of Indiana is protected by the Office of the County Surveyor. The level of performance of the regulated drain infrastructure is related directly to the size of each storm event. However it is the Office of the County Surveyor that is given the task of protecting the drain infrastructure in the State of Indiana to assure that the drain performs as designed. We consider each Surveyor Office to be a positive and constructive resource with an inspiring account of the positive in each of our respective counties.
Diverse challenges will always confront county government. County Surveyors view each challenge as an opportunity to improve the service county government extends to the citizens within each of our counties in our great state.
Chris Knochel
President, County Surveyors Association of Indiana