A proposal could dramatically reduce the number of townships in St. Joseph County.

Portage Township Trustee Jason Critchlow is floating a plan that would consolidate the county’s 13 townships into three larger regional townships.

The proposal remains in the early stages and comes as a new Indiana law will require some smaller townships to merge.

Critchlow says consolidation could reduce costs while potentially improving services, including emergency response.

Community meetings are expected to be held to discuss how consolidation could affect taxes, spending and local services.