Evansville Courier & Press
For some, the head of steam that built up over the prospect of local government consolidation in Evansville and Vanderburgh County dissipated when Gov. Mitch Daniels announced a study commission to reform the structure of local government in Indiana.
The commission, named for its chairs - former Gov. Joe Kernan and Evansville's own Randall Shepard, chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court - came up with a host of recommendations to streamline the way Hoosiers are governed.
Yet months of hearings and ringing endorsements were all for nought as state lawmakers of both parties balked at many of its provisions, including the elimination of township trustees. The end result was that Kernan-Shepard went nowhere.
Will it return? Perhaps, but don't bet on it anytime soon.
Indeed, a separate action by Indiana lawmakers might be the best thing that could happen for citizens of this community concerned about waste and duplication in local government. That was the bill passed in 2006 that took the issue of local government reform out of the hands of the Legislature if a plan was initiated locally.
If the Legislature's failure to act on Kernan-Shepard is any indication, true reform of local government in Indiana will need to come up from the county level, not a gubernatorial commission passing the torch to reluctant state lawmakers.
Bottom-up reform is the opportunity presented by the petition drive announced last week by the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana.
Their goal is for the citizens of Evansville and Vanderburgh County to decide the issue of local government consolidation in a 2010 referendum.
The group needs just over 2,600 signatures of registered voters in Vanderburgh County to place the question of a consolidation study commission before the County Commission and the Evansville City Council.
If both bodies approve, they will appoint a study commission to draw up a proposal for consolidating city and county government. The plan would then be decided in a countywide referendum.
Given their overall concern about the size of government, we imagine that the hundreds who came out for yet another "Tea Party" rally at the Civic Center last Thursday would be willing petition signers.
The same would be true for those concerned about how effectively Evansville can compete with communities across the country seeking new jobs and corporate investment.
While approval by the City Council and County Commission is not assured, the chances of that happening increased last week after Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel indicated that he believes the time is right to consider the idea.
Now is indeed the time for a serious look at the structure of local government. Let's make it happen.