MySmartGov.org

Smart government

The Center Township trustee in Marion County spends more than $3 in property taxes on administration for every $1 distributed in poor relief, the office’s only function.  The trustee’s office has $7 million in the bank over and above what it will take to fund this year’s poor relief budget and owns three multi-million-dollar buildings that house, among other things a bank and an upscale bar. 

Meanwhile, Indianapolis recently learned that it may have to sell its small neighborhood parks just to balance its budget.   

Then there’s the township advisory board in Hamilton County that pays its three members $7,500 a year to attend a one-hour meeting each month. That comes out to $625 an hour. Board members also get health insurance courtesy of property taxpayers.  

One township trustee in Tippecanoe County works full time as a school teacher, receives an additional $35,000 a year for being the part-time trustee and hired her husband to be her chief deputy.

Does any of this make sense? Is this smart government?

Why not keep the small Indianapolis parks and sell the township-owned buildings?  And why should taxpayers – many of whom have to work two or more jobs and can’t afford health insurance for their families – pay such high wages and insurance premiums for part-time board members? Let’s do away with township government, set a countywide property tax rate for poor relief and invite reputable local social service agencies to bid on carrying out the poor relief function on a countywide basis?

Let’s change county government so it is led by one county executive and a strong county council, acting as the legislative body.

Let's shift township services to counties.  Let’s insist that school districts and libraries adopt economies of scale to save money. And let’s be sure that all public safety agencies can communicate with one another at times of crisis.

That’s smart government. If you agree, join us.