Gov't consolidation stumbles in Senate

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Governor Mitch Daniel’s plans for government consolidation called for in the Kernan-Shepard Report ran into resistance Wednesday.

The governor wants to eliminate township government and much of county government. In a pair of votes, a state Senate committee said "No".

County and township officials from around the state packed into a committee room to witness the votes on government consolidation.

Sen. Connie Lawson dropped a proposal to eliminate township government without a vote, instead proposing to keep trustees and dissolve township advisory boards.

"I've had many advisory board members tell me that they need to be done away with, that they aren't doing that much compared to what they get paid," Sen. Lawson.

But Lawson's idea failed on a 6-to-5 vote.

The vote comes on the day after the governor launched a road show to build grassroots support for government consolidation. But the committee also rejected a plan to eliminate four county offices, again on a 6-to-5 vote. That vote set the stage for Senator Jim Merritt's proposal to merge the Indianapolis Fire Department with the five remaining township departments in Marion County. But that too met resistance.

"Those that have consolidated have not, and I spoke to several of them yesterday, have not realized significant savings from this," said Sen. Jean Breaux (D) of Indianapolis.

But Merritt's proposal won support on another 6-to-5 vote.

"I do believe this will pass the Senate and off we go," said Merritt.

Even so, it was not a good day for government consolidation. The committee preserved township trustees but it voted to prohibit them from hiring family members. It's a change, but not the kind of change the governor wants.