By ROBERTA HEIMAN
Evansville Courier & Press staff writer
They intentionally kept it out of politics during the election campaign, but the committee proposing city-county consolidation says it is time now to get politicians involved. And at least one politician agrees.
Democrat Troy Tornatta, who won re-election to the County Council on Tuesday, appeared before the Evansville-Vanderburgh Unification Study Committee on Wednesday to urge that it get the elected officeholders at the table.
"We respect the fact (the committee) did not want to make this a political issue," Tornatta said. "But at this point it's our duty to be interested and make sure it's a good process."
His attendance at the committee's meeting coincided with some major decisions by the group, including:
Not to seek legislative approval for a referendum vote on consolidation next year, as it had planned, but to seek the referendum in 2006. That would provide additional time to draft the plan and gain support for it, as well as avoid the expense of a referendum vote when there is no general election, said committee chairman John Dunn.
Rather than draft a detailed plan dealing with every city and county department and service, recommend only the merger of the legislative and executive branches.
The plan now is to propose a 13-member metro council to replace the nine-member City Council, seven-member County Council and three-member County Commissioners. The metro council would assume the legislative powers of the County Commissioners, while executive powers would be shifted to the mayor in the merged government.
It then would be up to the metro council to work out the details - such as whether to merge the city and township fire departments, or the sheriff and city police departments.
That's the approach that has been taken by Louisville, Ky., and every other city and county across the country that have merged within the last 15 years.
"We would open the door and give them (the elected officials) the authority to structure the new government," Dunn said. "It gets to leadership," he added. "The reason there is consolidation in Louisville is because (Mayor) Jerry Abramson is a strong leader. We would give leaders (in Evansville) an opportunity to lead."
Tornatta had a different take on it, though.
"You're not going to put that on my lap," he said. "Who's going to take the heat? I don't think it's our duty for you guys to say here it is."
Dunn replied, "We would like to give you the authority to design the new government. If we try to do it, it would be picked apart - because we have no authority."
Other committee members agreed. If the group tried to draft a plan that included all the details on every city and county department, "It would be too detailed. Everyone would find something they didn't like," said member Lucy Himstedt.
Member Fred Padget, president of the Westside Improvement Association, said Burdette Park is an example, because West Siders would oppose merging the park with the city parks department, "which is struggling with what it has."
"I don't know if we could put together a good plan at all levels," Padget said.
But Tornatta said he thinks the public expects the committee to draft a plan with some details. "You have to have a plan to present to people, instead of just drop it in the lap of the new 13-member council and mayor."
Tornatta also questioned doing away with the County Commissioners. "Nobody who has that job is going to be in favor of it," he said. "How are you going to get the commissioners to give up their power?"
Phil Fisher, coordinator of the committee, said the "whole reason" for considering city-county merger is that there are too many divided responsibilities in county government and "people are sick of the bickering." He said having three commissioners, and no single person in charge, is "the weakest link" in local government.
"To not attack that would be shirking our responsibilities," he said.
Dunn said he and Fisher will seek a legislation writer in Indianapolis to draft a merger plan to present at the committee's next meeting Dec. 1. The committee will make any revisions it thinks needed, then present the proposal to Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel, City Council and County Council members and the County Commissioners.
© 2004 The E.W. Scripps Co.