EDITORIAL: Local government reform needed

The Daily Journal of Johnson County

Indiana has 2,730 local units of government that can levy property taxes - including counties, townships, cities, towns, libraries and school corporations.

That can lead to confusion as to why property taxes are increasing and where the money goes.

"The only effective check on bad government is public opinion," a state committee on government reorganization wrote in its report. "Responsibility for government success or failure should be fixed and not diffused, so that the electors may deal intelligently with a clear cut issue."

Was that the primary conclusion of the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform, headed by former Gov. Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard?

Well, yes. But that quote actually was made by the 1935 Indiana State Committee on Governmental Economy.

Indiana's governmental structure was put in place by the constitution adopted in the 1850s.

Since then, state commissions have twice - in 1935 and 1970 - sought to reorganize governments across the Hoosier state.

Apparently it takes about 35 years for political leaders to build up the courage or for events to build up the pressure to change things.

So here we are just more than 35 years since the previous attempt at reform. If changes aren't made this time, it probably will be at least another three decades before anything is tried.

"We want this effort to be different," Kernan and Shepard wrote in a letter to newspaper editors around the state. "We intend to offer bold and ambitious recommendations that lead to real change."

As the legislature conducted hearings this month, various constituencies and interest groups have spoken up, each arguing that every office or agency but theirs should be cut, trimmed or reorganized.

It's always someone else who is inefficient, not them.

But it's just like elections. Many voters complain about the actions or inaction of the legislature, but they continue to vote incumbents back into office. After all, it's someone else's legislator who is the problem, not theirs.

The problem isn't with individuals. There are thousands of fine, dedicated people serving fellow Hoosiers at all levels of government.

The problem is with the system. It's broken, and a tweak here and a Band-Aid there won't fix it. It's time for fundamental change.

It will take leadership, courage and sacrifice to pass the proposals needed. The opportunity is there for the Indiana General Assembly to make history and prepare the state for the future.

It would be a shame if old-school loyalties and politics were to thwart this attempt at improvement.