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The latest battle in the war against local government - the ITA pushes back |
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 As you are no doubt aware, township government continues to find itself in the crosshairs of local government consolidation discussions taking place at the Statehouse. Though we have faced numerous efforts over the last several years to eliminate township government, the release of the Kernan-Shepard Commission report last fall has sparked a renewed interest to do away with local elected officials in favor of overly-centralized government within each county. One of the 27 recommendations contained in the report was the total elimination of township government.
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Destroying community at great cost |
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 Regional governance is all the rage in some circles in America. But the Canadian experience demonstrates it might not have all the benefits advertised. More than a decade ago, the Ontario government forced six municipalities to amalgamate into the megacity of Toronto. This was not done by the residents of the six jurisdictions. Separate referenda in each of the municipalities (North York, East York, York, Etobicote, Scarborough and the former city of Toronto) all indicated strong disapproval.
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I love my job! I love seeing relief on people’s faces when at their wit’s end they come to us and find we can help with their rent, or utilities, or prescriptions, or burial. I love offering assistance to families who find themselves unable to purchase school supplies. I love delivering Christmas gifts to those less fortunate. |
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“There were 961 township assessors who were folded into county assessor offices on July 1. Did you notice?” This is the question Brian Howey asked in his recent article printed in the Kendalville News-Sun. He went on to say, “Defenders of township government keep making the argument that it is government ‘closest to the people.’ |
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How do the candidates feel about township government in Indiana? |
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On September 23 in Jasper, the three candidates for the office of Governor, were asked a question pertaining to township government. In an effort to assist township officials in their decision, following is the transcript of the question and the answers which were given. As you all are probably aware, the Commission on Local Government Reform has made recommendations for streamlining Indiana’s local government. One of those recommendations includes the elimination of township government and the transfer of its responsibilities to the county executive. Do you support the elimination of township government or leaving it in its current form? |
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Consolidation Is No Way to Streamline Government |
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 Suppose Indiana government convened a commission on improving the state's economic competitiveness. And suppose one of their recommendations was to consolidate all of the states 659 machine shops into one big company, let's call it Indiana General Tool. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Manufacturers Association and each of the 659 company owners would rightly protest, perhaps toppling the current administration and upending the General Assembly.
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Local Government Consolidation: Why the Savings are Sometimes Disappointing |
 Why maintain two police departments when you can consolidate into one? Why have two school districts, etc.? On the surface, the advantages of consolidation are obvious. Suppose you have two factories, each with a boss, an accountant, a lawyer, and 100 workers. If you merge the two factories, you don’t need two bosses or two accountants, or two lawyers, and you may not even need all 200 workers. You can cut out the unneeded overhead and save money easily. In organizational theory, the concept is known as economies of scale. Why not apply that to government? The answer is, it won’t always work in government. |
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Please join us today and unite with your fellow trustees and
trustee/assessors to preserve and improve local government.