We were asked to make sure all our followers know the best places to find our links and posts online:
We’re gearing up for an e-newsletter soon, leave a comment below if you want to be included in Cender’s Weekly Best Practices in Governing email.
The East Chicago Indiana city council gave approval to the Mayor to begin the process of a public-private partnership to build a toll bridge for Cline Avenue.
The agreement allows Mayor Copeland to proceed with a transfer of the state-owned 1.25-mile span over the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal to a development group that will build, own and operate the new road.
(reprinted with permission from Indiana Municipal Consulting)
Once in a while it is good to spend a few minutes looking at the big picture in Indiana municipal finance, some links we found that are worth reading and pondering:
What stories are you watching today, in economic development and municipal finance, Indiana is ahead of many states … but unemployment is hurting everyone.
The Indiana legislature has been looking at the casino industry closely this week, perhaps some changes are in store. Ohio approved sweeping casino legalization in a referendum last month so competition will increase no doubt.
One community with the most to gain from sweeping changes would be Gary Indiana. Gary has two casino boats, and the owner of those casinos filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors a few weeks ago. One proposal that has circulated for the last couple years is a reform allowing at least one of those licenses to move a casino inland, off the water, and closer to the traffic on the interstate.
Times article for more details
A quick memory tour, due to the tax caps legislated in 2008 under HEA 1001, Gary filed in 2009 for Indiana Distressed Unit Appeals Board concessions on implementing those property tax caps. The budgets of the City of Gary and related government agencies have been slashed. Some have suggested they have been slashed too far.
The opportunity to pick up additional gaming revenue may be one of the only solutions for a community hard pressed already with budget cuts and increases in crime, homelessness, poverty, and property foreclosures.
For breaking news on the Indiana Municipal Finance front, it’s always worth checking out our facebook page: Indiana Municipal Finance Consultants
Merrillville looking to possibly shrink the parks department to just one employee in an effort to cut costs for 2010. This comes on the heels of recent investigation into a possible Indiana Distressed Unit Appeals Board (DUAB) filing, which may not be possible. The DUAB was created as an appeals mechanism when property taxes were capped at 1,2 and 3 percent by the legislature. Municipal entities in Indiana that are affected “may” be able to file for assistance in delaying the impact of this legislation. Our team worked with the City of Gary on their successful filing in 2009 which assisted them with the transition.
Yesterday was the first day of operation for the Mishawaka to Elkhart interurban trolley service.
Portage to release it’s comprehensive plan: From the Times
After months of work, the city’s newest comprehensive plan is ready for review.The plan, which is a road map guiding city officials on development, will be formally presented to the Plan Commission during a special meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at City Hall.
“There are not a lot of huge changes. We got down into some more details than the 2002 plan,” said City Planner Joe Csikos, adding the plan takes more of a look at new development, rehabilitation of some of the older areas of the city and infill opportunities.
One focus for the future, said Csikos, is to not create any more subdivisions – the typical single-family residential developments on half-acre lots with similar houses dotting the streets. Instead, the plan focuses on creating neighborhoods within the city that are a mix of uses, vital developments with considerations for walkability, said Csikos.
Development of the newest plan began last summer when the city hired the consulting firm of SEH Inc. of Munster. A committee of officials, business members and residents also was formed. The committee held two public open houses to gather information and conducted a survey of residents on how they wanted to see their community develop.
That information is contained in the draft comprehensive plan. Csikos said the draft plan is available online for review at www.sehinc.com/online/portage/ and a copy is available at the planning office at City Hall.
Csikos said the public will have a chance to comment on the proposed plan at Thursday’s meeting. If the commission approves the document, it will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration at its Oct. 6 meeting.
The pre-eminent organization for networking and information regarding Indiana Cities and Towns is the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns.
Some important resources there:
For more information call or check out the website:
Indiana Association of Cities and Towns
200 South Meridian Street, Suite 340
Indianapolis, IN 46225
(317) 237-6200
News today that affects our clients and potential clients:
“When asked what Northwest Indiana supporters of the Kernan-Shepard recommendations can do to promote his plans, Daniels’ said, “Make noise, please.”
Daniels’ push for implementing the recommendations of the Kernan-Shepard commission came just days after Senate legislation to enact the reforms was amended to exclude Lake County from a key provision to replace county commissioners with a single county executive.” From the Times
Hammond and Whiting discussing consolidating some services.
St. John and Dyer head to court over annexation battle.
Mayor of Portage still committed to consolidating 911 with county dispatch, to save money and to increase public safety. Head of fire union speaks out about not being included earlier.
In 2008, the Indiana General Assembly passed sweeping legislation to put tax caps in place on property taxes depending on the type of property. This caused dramatic distress in many municipal budgets, first trying to ascertain the level of effect and then trying to once again scramble to keep up with State mandates.
These changes were on top of equally dramatic changes in assessing property to try to move to a market based system, and changes in TIF and Redevelopment laws. If you’re anything like our clients, this has all been a whirlwind to you and you’re ready for the Holidays.
What does 2009 hold though? Will Indiana Cities and Towns be hit with yet another set of far reaching reforms and mandates from the state? One group which strongly supports the Kernan-Shephard reforms is suggesting that 2009 could hold even more dramatic changes, especially at the county level. We are NOT endorsing these opinions, but they are important enough to all of us to pause and consider. We welcome your input, and as always please visit our website: Indiana Municipal Finance Consultants
In short order, everything. Three of the twenty-seven recommendations of the Kernan-Shepard Report have been implemented, but with the overwhelming decision by the voters to do away with the majority of the remaining township assessors, legislators are taking note and MySmartgov.org is preparing.
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette:
Marilyn Schultz is executive director of Mysmartgov.org, an alliance of interests working to implement the report’s recommendations. She said last week she was encouraged by the voters’ response in townships where assessing duties were put to the question.
“We think we have some momentum from our great success on Election Day,” she said. “A year ago, there were 1,008 township assessors in Indiana, and today we have 13.”
As a former state budget director, Schultz knows the budget-writing task will be foremost on lawmakers’ minds, but she hopes to drive home the point that government must “squeeze the absolute most services from the dollars we have,” insisting on greater efficiency and accountability.
Bills are now being prepared to encompass each of the Kernan-Shepard recommendations, save for the assessing and welfare funding changes already implemented. No legislative sponsors have yet been identified, but Schultz said there are lawmakers willing to carry them all, even the school district consolidation measure that will undoubtedly draw the most fire.
Sen. David Long said this month that the report, prepared by a bipartisan panel, nicely prioritized the local government task ahead.
“We’ll go after the low-hanging fruit first,” he said.
Recommendation one is to replace the three-member board of county commissioners with a single, elected county chief executive, and the second is to combine fiscal and legislative functions of county government in a single, unified council.
Long said he believed there is bipartisan interest in allowing individual counties to determine whether they will adopt the changes.
Look, we understand that the rest isn’t going to be easy to get through. We know that the school consolidation will probably be the hardest part to pass. But we’re encouraged that legislators are listening and getting ready to act.
But as this article notes, and as Jen already mentioned this morning, support is continuing to grow for further consolidation of local government. And if the actions of the Washington Township Board in Marion County isn’t a prime enough example of how township government still thinks it’s safe and needs to be eliminiated, I don’t know what is.
Tired of local government acting like it’s above the law? Tired of it wasting your hard earned tax dollars? Think government should be more efficient and should work for you rather than the other way around, then sign up and get involved!
House Enrollment Act 1001 (HEA 1001) requires for the first time this year, that county councils in Indiana review all budgets for municipalities and townships (and other taxing units) in each county. There is some confusion about the actual affect of these reviews, since they are not binding.
Porter County will begin their reviews tonite.
VALPARAISO | After spending four long nights pouring over the details of more than 90 budgets within the county government, members of the County Council will begin work tonight on their new responsibility of reviewing the budgets of nearly every other local taxing unit.
At least some of the council members question the value of the additional work, considering they were not given the power to take any action in response to their reviews.
Cender and Company will be assisting LaPorte County in conducting their reviews so that they don’t feel additional pressure to add staff for the new task. If you are a council member or county staff assigned with this new responsibility let us know, we’d be glad to assist in this chore.
We are currently designing our totally new website for Cender and Company here in Indiana. We’d like to get as much input from municipal government and public sector clients as possible. What would you like to see on our site? What kind of articles would you read and find useful?
Seriously, we’d like your input, what would be interesting and helpful enough to you our clients to visit regularly? We are focusing on our theme: Solutions to Unique Challenges. What are your unique challenges that we can help solve?
Indiana Municipal Finance and Planning Consultant 