Mixed reaction on township legislation
INDIANAPOLIS—Legislators heard strong debate Wednesday over a measure to eliminate townships and township trustees.
County, township and fire department members spent more than an hour testifying on both sides of Senate Bill 240 before the Senate Local Government Committee.
Aaron Smith, founder of Watchdog Indiana, testified in favor of the bill.
“SB 240 is taxpayer-friendly and should be voted out of committee,” he said.
Jay Marks, White River township trustee in Johnson County, agreed. He also testified that one size does not fit all when it comes to local government.
“We have to change how township government is run,” he said.
Debbie Driskell, executive director of Indiana Township Association, testified in opposition to the bill. She said the bill had some things she could agree with, but said the overall concept isn’t what communities need right now.
Driskell said townships are cost-effective for homeowners and the transfer of power from township to county would lead to an increase of staff at the county level, which would defeat any saving that may come from eliminating township governments.
“It is our belief it is time for reform,” Driskell said.
During the House session on Wednesday, amendments were added to House Bill 1181, which calls for a referendum in November that would allow voters in townships to determine if they want to do away with the trustee positions and other township government functions.
One amendment altered the language that would appear on the ballot. Another altered the language defining nepotism.
HB 1181 moves on to the third reading in the House, while SB 240 moves on to the second reading in the Senate.
