Indiana

Resistance Is Futile

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Editor’s Note: I apologize for the title of this post, but I relaxed this weekend by watching a lot of Star Trek.

In the wake of the consolidation vote this past week in Marion County regarding the township assessors, I have some news for the rest of township government,  you will be assimilated. 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news for the people who still love township government, but your days are numbered in more ways than one.   The assessors were just the lucky ones.

On the heels of an 18-point victory, Governor Mitch Daniels has a mandate to move full speed ahead on government reform.  Now while some members of the legislature may try to block consolidation, the Governor has a number of tools in his belt.  Here’s three of them…

1. Property tax caps.  With the tax caps in place many local governments will find there isn’t as much cash running around.  So they’ll be forced to start doing without.
2. The Department of Local Government and Finance.  Any local government official expecting to get a break from these guys can forget about it.  Some townships already experienced this with looking for emergency loans for their fire departments.  They got nowhere real fast. The agency has the power to make local government’s lives a living administrative nightmare.
3.  The Mood of the Electorate.  The voters have made it clear they want smaller, smarter government.  Township government is neither.
4. The facts! Indiana has two percent of the nation’s population, but 8 percent of the local government.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on November 10, 2008 (boomark / email).