13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Zip code change could save Fishers thousands

Zip code change could save Fishers thousands

Chris Proffitt/Eyewitness News

Fishers - A ZIP code change for some homes may save Fishers thousands of dollars.

It was $20,000 worth of confusion that made the growing town of Fishers aware of a problem.

"How do the cable companies know to send us the franchise fee based on the annexations that have occurred over the years and with a blank look, we realized they probably didn't and we got into it from that point," said Fishers Town Manager Gary Huff.

Fishers found that there are homes and businesses that are part of the town, but don't have a Fishers address, causing confusion and, in some cases, the town losing money from franchise fees and utility taxes. To fix the problem, the town is asking the postal service to give all Fishers homes and businesses a Fishers mailing address, which means that some people may have to change their ZIP codes.

One example is the recently-annexed Geist area that, as of January 1, becomes Fishers. But the area will still have, in some cases, McCordsville and Fortville addresses, but not Fishers.

Jaye McCormick just recently sold her Geist coffee shop and has lived in the area over 20 years.

"Multiple addresses and school districts, multiple grade schools and high schools. It's very confusing," she said.

The postal service must first decide if changing those ZIP codes makes sense before it polls home and business owners, a majority of whom must support changing ZIP codes. Some, including McCormick, are still angry that they were annexed by the town.

"Absolutely, yeah," she said.

While the town only wants Fishers on the address, it seems that even that may not be so easy.

Westfield was turned down twice by the postal service to switch Westfield residents that have a Carmel ZIP code, so the city is drafting an ordinance to do it themselves.