Government reform bill clears House
INDIANAPOLIS – A bill that will allow Hoosiers to decide their township’s fate passed through the Indiana House of Representatives on a 55-44 vote on Thursday.
House Bill 1181 would give the people of Indiana the ability to vote this November on whether they feel that township government should be kept, or whether the power should be transferred to the county level of government.
“HB 1181 provides that we ask the people of the state of Indiana,” said Rep. Bill Crawford, D-Indianapolis, author of the bill.
Crawford said amendments added Wednesday improved and clarified the bill. One of those amendments added language to the question that would appear on ballots in November. The other amendment clarified the definition of nepotism within township government.
Crawford also said that in a situation like this, the decision is either left up to the legislators or the people, and he believes it is time to listen to the people.
Not everyone on the House floor agreed that Bill 1181 was the solution for local government reform.
“This is horrible public policy…I think we’re trying to play games with this bill,” said Rep. Craig Fry, D-Mishawaka.
Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, said that this bill does not discuss how the fiscal side of the transfer of power would work if voters decided to eliminate a township. He also mentioned House Bill 1249, which he authored, and said he was not supporting HB 1181 but that he would like his bill to be read.
“I want my bill to be heard,” said DeLaney.
After HB 1181 passed, Crawford said that what the people want is the right thing to do.
“I think this [bill] is the perfect compromise…If this is not acceptable than I don’t know what is,” said Crawford after the vote.
David Bottorff, executive director of the Association of Indiana Counties, said that the association does not support the complete elimination of the township government. The association would support the concept of counties overseeing townships budgets. Bottorff said he does not believe that the current bill saves money or that it will make the system anymore effective.
“I don’t think it’s the perfect compromise,” said Bottorff.
Michael Hicks, director of the center for business and economic research at Ball State University said that township government either needs to follow state standards or be eliminated completely.
“The problem is that the townships in Indiana provide a relatively low amount of service for a relatively high cost…Either townships need to go away almost entirely or they need to meet traditional standards of government performance,” said Hicks.
Debbie Driskell, executive director of the Indiana Township Association, said that she believes that if the General Assembly feels that something must be done this is the right action because it gives the people the option to vote on the issue.
“I believe strongly in township government,” Driskell said.
Indiana House Minority Leader Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, discussed the bill after the session.
“We saw a baby step today…Personally I believe we could have done more…At least we’ve taken the first step and that is to give voters a chance to say yes, we think township government in our township is relevant, or no we believe it’s antiquated and we’re ready to move on. Much remains to be done in that one,” Bosma said.
House Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, also discussed the bill after the vote. Bauer said that in many instances he has known townships to help citizens with emergency services when they were turned down by other groups. He said that the people will remember those services if they get to vote on this issue.
“I think if they [the trustees] do get a chance to prove their case in their own township many of them will survive because of the jobs they did,” Bauer said.
Some people feel that a county by county vote would be better than a vote from each township. Andrew Berger, legislative director of the Association of Indiana Counties, said that he feels that a county wide referendum would be a much better solution.
“The efficiency for the county is not there [in a township by township referendum],” Berger said.
Larry DeBoer, professor in the agricultural economics department at Purdue University, agrees that a county wide referendum would be more effective, but that he understands why some Hoosiers still feel township government is useful.
“[By] doing it on a township by township basis you reduce the opportunity for efficiency by moving it [the power] to the county...Bigger is more efficient, but smaller is more likely to be responsive to constituent demands,” said DeBoer.
HB 1181 now moves to the Senate where the debate will continue.
