For the third time in 40 years, Evansville on Tuesday took a shot at growth and change, from a graying, shrinking town into a progressive Midwestern city where leadership would be strong, government small and vision large. Alas — and really to no great surprise for a community where change is a dirty word — growth lost out in Tuesday's referendum.
The city and county can still aspire to those goals, but it will be much more difficult with our horse and buggy form of government leading the way.
Alas, by a vote of about 2-1, residents of the city and the county rejected a proposal to consolidate the city and county into one government, with one executive and one common council. We took such a vote once before, in 1974, when voters by a near 3-1 margin turned down the so-called Vandigov. That was at a time when the Watergate scandal had seriously damaged public trust of government. Some surmise that distrust of the city now, partly as a result of the city building the Ford Center and partly due to the homestead tax credit issue, turned some residents against the reorganization plan. Of course, the irony is that some day, the public will regard the Ford Center with the same reverence it now bestows on an obsolete Roberts Stadium. Bet on it.
In 2005, another effort to draft a consolidation plan was cut short by local officials.
It is obvious, as well, that even though law enforcement would not be consolidated under the plan turned down on Tuesday, the Fraternal Order of Police helped defeat it, as did the Rev. Adrian Brooks of Memorial Baptist Church. He felt Fourth Ward residents would have less representation under consolidation than they have now with two separate councils.
In addition, many local elected officials were opposed to consolidation. Almost all we talked to in interviewing candidates, were either flat out opposed, or didn't want to publicly take a position. Most said that they were satisfied with local government as it now is, a local government which provides them with good jobs and benefits.
Obviously, we are disappointed at the opportunities lost on Tuesday, but we believe it will be revisited again; taxpayers cannot go on forever paying for two separate governments, and believing that somehow taxes for two governments will be lower than the taxes would be for one smaller government. And it might come up again, should law enforcement costs catch up with rural/suburban residents. Currently, city residents help pay the costs of deputy sheriffs patrolling the county outside the city, but county residents outside the city do not help pay the costs of city police patrolling city streets.
It is likely, as well, that before consolidation returns, the city will first explore annexing populated sections of the county. The city proper cannot continue indefinitely with a stagnant or declining population.
Something has to give.
We believe Evansville and Vanderburgh County to be a fine community with a fine citizenry, one that can continue competing with other Midwestern communities that face the same issues that we do. It's just that it would have been a better fight with a streamlined government.
Other consolidated cities had to try more than once before consolidated government was approved. We expect that will be the case for Evansville, though not anytime soon.