Indiana lawmakers prone to let revamping of local government wait

By Niki Kelly, The Journal Gazette

INDIANAPOLIS - Though a few legislators are ready to push the bold ideas urged by a local government reform commission, many others are willing to let the proposals simmer until 2009.

"A year's analysis is probably a wise thing," Rep. Win Moses, D-Fort Wayne said.

Gov. Mitch Daniels asked former Gov. Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard to head a commission on local government restructuring last year.

They unveiled 27 recommendations in December, which included eliminating township government as a whole, replacing county commissioners with a single county executive, changing various county elected positions to ones appointed by the county executive, and consolidating schools with fewer than 2,000 students.