The Post-Tribune
When the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform released its 28 recommendations to change the way local government operates, it didn't issue an exemption for Lake County.
But that's exactly what the Senate Local Government Committee did last week before passing legislation that would change the operation of county government.
Lake was the lone county exempted other than Marion County, which has operated with a city/county government since the adoption of Unigov almost 40 years ago.
The bill requires the three-member board of commissioners in each county to hold a public hearing in the fall. At the hearing, the board of commissioners must vote either to replace itself with a single, elected county executive officer or to replace itself and the county council with a seven-member board of supervisors.
If the commissioners fail to adopt one of the two options, there would be an automatic referendum in 2010 to allow voters to adopt one of the options.
Sen. Sue Landske, R-Cedar Lake, made the proposal to remove Lake County from the bill. Her reason is a bit perplexing.
"Lake County is unique in a lot of respects," Landske said. "It has a very diverse population and faces a lot of challenges."
The diversity and number of challenges is all the more reason for Lake County to go to a more streamlined government.
With a single county executive or a board of supervisors, the probability of decision-making is enhanced, compared to having three commissioners and seven councilmen.
Landske left the door open, asking the committee for more time developing "a more deliberate response in Lake County." We'll be waiting and watching.