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Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Ind. Gov't. - New coalition pushing for changes in local government

Mike Smith of the AP writes today:

Efforts to streamline local government, largely tabled this year as legislators grappled with property-tax issues, could gain momentum under a new coalition that is pushing for changes in a system described as cumbersome and redundant.
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The group, which includes the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Association of Realtors and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, expects to spend $300,000 to $500,000 to get more of a state panel's recommendations passed in the next legislative session.

"Indiana taxpayers are paying for more layers of government than almost any other taxpayers in the nation," said, Marilyn Schultz, executive director of the coalition, MySmartGov.org.

A commission led by former Gov. Joe Kernan and state Chief Justice Randall Shepard last year recommended 27 changes to a complex local government system it said was mired in an 1850s reality.

The proposals include eliminating township governments and having one elected county chief executive who would appoint county officials now elected such as the sheriff, assessor and auditor. Small school districts would be reorganized so they have at least 2,000 students.

The proposals would cut the number of elected officials in Indiana from more than 11,000 to about 5,100.

The General Assembly enacted a few of the recommendations last session, including one to have the state assume local costs for providing child-welfare services. Lawmakers also transferred the appraisal duties of more than 900 township assessors or township trustee assessors to the county level.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 3, 2008 08:29 AM
Posted to Indiana Government