Looks like Gov. Daniels' call for more local-government control is the big deal I thought it was. Here's the Indianapolis Star's report:
Under the plan, local governments could merge and consolidate without legislative approval, a hurdle which has slowed Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson's ambitions to consolidate police and fire responsibilities in Marion County.
Sometimes I've thought many people here espousing government consolidation have used lack of legislative approval as a convenient excuse to lackadaisically pursue something their hearts really weren't in. That excuse may now disappear.
UPDATE: House Bill 1400 has been posted now, and it's stunning in its implications. Not only would a city and county be able to "reorganize" (probably a less scary word than "consolidate"). So would two or more school districts or muncipalities or townships. Even counties -- just think about that one for a moment. If this bill passes -- there will be certain and strong opposition -- we'll be in an era in which everything we've accepted as unchangeable about the way government operates will be up for grabs. Anything could happen. In a state like Indiana, that is remarkable. Every time I think I'm overusing the word "breathtaking" to describe the pace of change Daniels is willing to undertake, he goes and ups the ante.
Comments
I support the idea of consolidated government.
However, I really do not know if it can be accomplished at the local level.
First, local politicians would have to be willing to eliminate their positions- and that is unlikely to happen.
Second, there are THOUSANDS of lines of text in Indiana Code- and if, for example, Allen County and Fort Wayne were to merge, there would be numerous problems- government entities recieve their funding through the rules set up in that code, and that code will need to be changed....and that requires the Legislative approval.
So it seems like a great idea- but the devil is in the details, and those have not been worked out.
Hold the phone- this bill, as written, is DOA.
It also calls for the elimination of elected township assessors, and since the large majority of those are REPUBLICANs, there is no way the house will put this through.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the township part taken out if that's what it takes to save the bill. Wouldn't oppose that, either.