GREENTOWN — The trustees for Liberty, Union and Jackson townships all voiced support for the consolidation of the three townships that could start in 2015.
The Howard County chapter of the League of Women Voters conducted the first of four informational meetings on the ballot referendum to consolidate six townships in the county on Thursday at the Greentown Public Library. About 20 people attended the meeting.
The recommendation by the Howard County Township Trustee’s Association is to consolidate Liberty, Union and Jackson townships into one based on the Eastern school boundaries and Ervin, Clay and Howard townships using the Northwestern school boundaries.
If approved, one trustee will represent the newly-created township and there will be three advisory board members instead of the current nine.
Voters in the six townships will determine if the townships will consolidate Nov. 6.
The next informational meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday in the library at Northwestern High School. Two more are scheduled for October.
“Basically, I’m in favor of it,” Steve Carpenter, Union Township Trustee, said. “It will be a little more work for one person. It will depend on the economy.”
Greg Kingseed, the Jackson Township Trustee, said he favors maintaining control of township services at the local level.
Kingseed said he favors the consolidation because it’s not known what the Indiana General Assembly might determine in the future.
The Kernan-Shepard report on consolidation of government recommended in 2007 the elimination of the 1,008 townships in Indiana.
“With local control there would be ready and quick access to assistance,” Kingseed said.
Liberty Township Trustee Linda Grove said she favors the consolidation because the advisory board is supportive of the concept.
“I have some reservations,” she said. “But this is something we control.”
Kingseed said the Township Trustee Association decided following a one-year study determined it was better to consolidate the townships instead of seeing that form of government eliminated in the future.
He said the three trustees have developed a projected budget for the consolidated township and are projecting a 14 percent savings to taxpayers.
“We wanted to find a savings to taxpayers,” Kingseed said. “The reductions are in administrative costs, not in fire protection or township assistance.”
Grove said combining the three townships will result in a savings. She didn’t know if the consolidation would raise or lower taxes.
When asked Grove and Kingseed said they would run for the position of trustee if the townships are consolidated. Carpenter said he would not seek the office.
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