Times of Northwest Indiana
It is ironic but fortunate that Northwest Indiana property owners are getting their tax bills just as the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform is suggesting major changes to make local government more efficient and less costly.
This is especially true in Lake County, where the seven highest property tax rates are found. East Chicago's rate of $8.34 is more than $3.34 higher than the tax rates in any other county.
In fact, all seven of the state's highest tax rates are in northern Lake County. Just as we've said for years, few officials in those cities can be trusted to make necessary spending cuts.
This "Streamlining Local Government: We've got to stop governing like this" report, like others before it, is aimed at restructuring local government, which hasn't changed substantially since the 1850s. That was before the advent of the telephone, the automobile, the computer and the Internet -- all of which should have made it easier for government services to be delivered at less cost and with greater speed.
As Gov. Mitch Daniels said Tuesday, "In terms of local government structure, Indiana skipped the 20th century."
What this report must not have in common with the previous reports is the dust that has grown on great ideas for restructuring government.
The Indiana General Assembly must be held accountable for acting on the recommendations in the report. These reforms are imperative.
Much has been said about the need for property tax relief in the 2008 session of the General Assembly. Restructuring local government promises to provide real relief by cutting the cost of government, not just by shifting the burden elsewhere.
Daniels deserves credit for setting up this commission and encouraging it to make such bold recommendations during an election year.
The governor was elected based on his "road map for change," and he's delivering more changes than most Hoosiers expected. He must not back down on this most important change of all.
The blue ribbon commission's 27 recommendations include cutting the number of local government units from 3,086 to 1,931 -- 37 percent -- and reducing the number of elected officials from 11,012 to 5,171.
The changes in Northwest Indiana would be many and profound.
Township government would be eliminated, with the counties taking over those responsibilities -- a familiar refrain that has fallen on deaf ears in the General Assembly.
The report singles out Dewey Township (LaCrosse School) in LaPorte County for having the fewest students of any school district in the state -- 156. The optimal size of a school district is 2,000 to 6,000 students, the report suggests.
Just like the wave of consolidation following the landmark 1959 legislation on school reorganization, a new wave of right-sizing is needed.
At the county level, the suggestions are many -- including having a single elected chief executive and having that person hire a sheriff, auditor, treasurer, clerk, surveyor and recorder rather than having those positions be elective offices. The chief executive would serve as a mayor and replace the three-member Board of Commissioners.
That, we hope, would help jolt the Lake County government into quickly shedding dozens of needless patronage jobs.
As we have seen, most local officials can't be trusted to make necessary changes on their own. This is especially true in cities like Gary, Hammond and East Chicago and at the county level in Crown Point.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. has made strides but has had to fight for change against a traditional City Council.
State lawmakers need to make the tough decisions necessary to bring real tax relief and efficiency improvements. Daniels as governor is doing his part for the average taxpayer by forcing change.
Hoosiers must bombard their legislators with demands that these 27 recommendations be implemented.
This property tax relief must not be delayed.