Evansville Courier & Press staff and wire reports
Numerous firefighters and police, including some from Evansville, gathered Monday at the Statehouse to express concern that the proposed property-tax caps or "circuit breakers" in House Bill 1001 would cause shortfalls in local government budgets, and possible cuts to public safety. The show of force was organized by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. Among the officers was Evansville Police Chief Brad Hill, Deputy Chief Joyce Molinet and Capt. Gary Voegel.
The city of Evansville could receive $3.4 million less property-tax revenue in 2010 if House Bill 1001 passes. Hill expressed concern the amount would be equivalent to losing 43 police officers if it all came out of the police department, or 45 firefighters if it all came out of the fire department. "That's what the total amount of cuts in its present form would equate to, in salaries and benefits," Hill said. "I would certainly be objecting to it all coming from the police department."
Municipal governments would likely cut back from other city departments before public safety. Still, Hill wondered about the impact on officer response time or investigative staff.
The Senate version of House Bill 1001 would free up some property-tax dollars by having the state absorb the unfunded liability from pre-1977 police and fire pensions. In Evansville's case, the total pension liability is $14.6 million. The state currently picks up $8.9 million of that; and under House Bill 1001, the state would cover another $5.6 million, according to Senate Republican figures.
Hill said he applauds that idea. "That's one thing I would definitely like to see," the police chief said.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman missed a chance to put one of the governor's key property tax proposals into legislation - but the matter could come up for another vote today. The Senate voted 23-23 Monday on a proposed amendment to shift all property tax assessment duties from township-level assessors to the county assessors, something Gov. Mitch Daniels has pushed.
The underlying bill, House Bill 1001, would eliminate township assessors in 964 Indiana townships; but the amendment author, Sen. Teresa Lubbers, wanted to go further and eliminate them in all 1,008 townships.
As president of the Senate, Skillman was to break the 23-23 tie. But Senate leaders were confused about the procedure and Skillman announced the bill had failed. She said later that while she was conferring with an aide, the electronic vote-tally board was cleared.
Senate leaders consulted with legal advisors and determined that Skillman should have cast the tie-breaking vote. They agreed to bring back the assessor proposal for another vote today.
On Lubbers' amendment, to eliminate all township assessors instead of keeping just 44, all Southwest Indiana senators voted no: Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, Bob Deig, D-Mount Vernon, Lindel Hume, D-Princeton, John Waterman, R-Shelburn, and Richard Young, D-Milltown.
Skillman said later she intends to vote yes on that amendment if it ends in another tie vote. The lieutenant governor casting tie-breaking votes is a rarity; Skillman said she could recall doing so on only one other occasion.