County introduces new GIS software

Monday, February 8, 2016

Putnam County property records are now available through a new geographic information system (GIS), available to all on the internet, with no need to visit the courthouse.

County government recently made the transition to Think GIS software for the web by WTH Technology Inc. of Indianapolis. This system is seamlessly tied to the Think GIS software that has been used in the auditor's office for several years.

Think GIS is also integrated with the county's tax and assessment records management systems. On the web-based system, property records are now available to the public in an easy-to-use platform that is updated daily with the latest changes made in the courthouse.

The new website can be found at http://putnam.in.wthgis.com.

Search tools on the website give the public ability to easily find properties by the owner name. The search results include a history of property tax bills, deductions and assessments.

Information such as property record cards, sketches and photos are now accessible with just a few clicks. Sales comparison searches can also be made to provide a history of recent property sales in a given date range, price range, neighborhood or property class.

These tools allow users to acquire data about properties without having to visit the courthouse to examine physical records.

Think GIS is also in use by other customers in Putnam County, including the Putnam County Highway Department, the Greencastle Fire Department and utility offices in Bainbridge and Cloverdale.

WTH Technology Inc. serves more than 1,400 customers in 14 states including customers in 70 of Indiana's 92 counties.

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  • Everything except how to enter the website!

    Great reporting!

    -- Posted by Lookout on Mon, Feb 8, 2016, at 10:21 AM
  • Oops, sorry, I found it.

    -- Posted by Lookout on Mon, Feb 8, 2016, at 10:23 AM
  • Don't believe it's anybody's business what my property taxes are!

    -- Posted by kubotafan on Tue, Feb 9, 2016, at 12:41 AM
  • Attention Putnam County officials: "Search tools on the website give the public ability to easily find properties by the owner name" Quite true......and if your pole barn door happened to be open when the assessor was there, the photos give thieves a way to easily see what's in your garage, storage buildings or any other personal property you may own. Not a good idea !!!! Please eliminate this.

    -- Posted by local-yokel on Tue, Feb 9, 2016, at 7:22 AM
  • Folks, it's always been public record and the same photos can be found on google maps.

    Very pleased to see that Putnam Co now offers what other counties have had available for many years! Great news!

    -- Posted by letspulltogether on Tue, Feb 9, 2016, at 8:34 AM
  • Public record means going to plat office to research your interests,my opinion anyway!

    -- Posted by kubotafan on Tue, Feb 9, 2016, at 10:44 AM
  • You can access this website here: putnam.in.wthgis.com

    -- Posted by jdtroutt71 on Tue, Feb 9, 2016, at 12:28 PM
  • Sassylass: The photos posted on WTH are not available on google maps. And Putnam County has had a better GIS, Beacon, for several years now. Big mistake switching to WTH!

    -- Posted by Ben Dover on Tue, Feb 9, 2016, at 12:59 PM
  • Nothing wrong with the website, public tax records aid in government transparency. Many people including those who choose to live in the rural areas of the county value privacy. These photos may be necessary for assessment purposes but are a violation of our privacy. If we wanted everyone to see our construction and farm equipment, ATV's trailers tools, and supplies we would park or store it along the road instead of in our barns, sheds and outbuildings that were purposely located off the road and behind trees and berms for security's sake. Please remove the photos from public view. They are close up ground level photos, not the aerial or street views found on Google maps.

    -- Posted by local-yokel on Wed, Feb 10, 2016, at 8:42 AM
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