Leaner local government may not cut taxes

Niki Kelly, The Journal Gazette

nkelly@jg.net

INDIANAPOLIS - It's clear by now that Indiana has a lot of bureaucracy, including more than 3,000 local government units and 11,000 elected officials.

But as legislators begin to grapple with major structural changes to township, school and county government, one key factor is missing - will Hoosier taxpayers save money if they streamline a system designed in the 1800s?

The bipartisan commission on local government reform - often referred to as Kernan-Shepard in honor of its co-chairs Joe Kernan and Randall Shepard - put forth 27 recommendations for change in local government that would "allow Hoosiers to receive better local services at a lower cost."

But there was no detailed analysis on where the cost savings would come from or what they might be.