EVANSVILLE —Evansville and Vanderburgh County officials have completed an initial review of a citizens’ committee plan to merge the two governments.
Members of the City Council and the County Commissioners wrapped up a series of six weekly workshops Thursday by agreeing not to implement mayoral term limits.
Both bodies must approve identical proposals before a referendum on the consolidation issue can be put before voters, probably on the November 2012 ballot.
They also spent about two hours addressing some of the more than 50 appointed boards that exist under the initial plan.
During Thursday’s meeting, both bodies agreed to not pay any appointees to boards created by local ordinance; however, members of boards created by state law, whose members are paid, would still receive money.
Officials also questioned whether the mayor would have all appointments to some boards, such as the Water & Sewer Commission, which under state law is appointed by the government’s executive, or if they could direct the common council to have some of the appointments.
The bodies’ two attorneys said they will explore that possibility. Commissioner Marsha Abell, who called several times during the meetings for more legislative oversight of appointed boards that control large amounts of money, said she was pleased with Thursday’s meeting.
“I think we gave more power to the people, which was what I’m concerned about. The county is used to having three mayors so they don’t like having but one person doing everything,” she said.
After discussion at earlier workshops about a mayoral term limit, officials ultimately decided against the idea.
“I feel like the voters make the term limits,” said Councilwoman Missy Mosby, D-2nd Ward.
A revised plan with the new changes made during the last month and a half should be ready before the next public meeting, scheduled for June 30. But Commissioners President Lloyd Winnecke called it unlikely any official vote will be taken on the proposal at that time.
“We will hopefully accept all the new stuff with the idea that we will probably have to suspend or continue that public hearing yet again,” he said. “I don’t see any action being taken that night, besides this organization receiving the new data.”
A final proposal will still have to include language on the role of law enforcement. Last month both bodies decided to put off the immediate consolidation of the Evansville Police Department and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office.
One additional item Councilman Dan Adams, D-At Large, said he wants to see included in the plan before it is approved for referendum is an estimate on how consolidation will affect property taxes for current city and non-city residents. Winnecke told Adams that county Auditor Joe Gries will provide an estimate after a modified plan is put forth.
“We ought to know what the property tax is,” he said after the meeting while standing next to fellow Councilman Dan McGinn, R-1st Ward. “It’s actually not very important that he and I agree with the merger, what is really important is that we deliver, to the to people, a product that they can recognize and they themselves will decide.”