By Joanne Hammer/Tribune-Star
Sullivan and Vermillion County commissioners voted in separate meetings Tuesday in favor of Central daylight-saving time.
Commissioners plan to send a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation petitioning for a change to Central from Eastern time zone. The U.S. DOT set Sept. 16 as the deadline for the submissions.
Indiana, with the exception of about 10 states, is in Eastern Standard time zone. Vigo County commissioners have indicated the county should be on the same time as Indianapolis.
Those who voiced opinions during the Sullivan County commissioners' meeting were in favor of Central daylight-saving time.
"The sun rises a lot different in Sullivan County than it does in New York or Ohio," said Scott Brown of Sullivan, who works at Toyota in Gibson County. "It's all about money."
He stated to commissioners that Central daylight-saving time would allow children to be safer as they wait for school buses in the morning.
Mandy Cooley of Sullivan, who works as a guidance counselor at a Robinson, Ill., school, agreed. She said her children wait outside at a school bus stop in the dark, when it is often foggy or slick.
Vermillion County commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the change because of its geographic location, said Tim Wilson, Vermillion County commissioner president.
No one at the meeting was in favor of Eastern daylight-saving time, he said.
"We had several letters, all in favor of central time," Wilson said.
Under federal law, counties that request a time zone must border a county that has been permitted to go into that time zone. The U.S. DOT will review county petitions, which will include data outlining why the county should change time zones, before conducting public hearings on the proposals.
"We may be turned down, but at least we gave our opinion," said Donny Morin of Sullivan.