SB 240 concerning township government was passed by the Indiana Senate on a 29 – 19 vote (PDF). It would eliminate township boards and make the County Council the fiscal and legislative body for the township board.
The bill gives some guidance to county councils on formulating township budgets. It also specifies that the relative of an officer or employee of a township can’t be employed by the township in a capacity where the relative is a direct supervisor or subordinate of the officer or employee. However, no termination or reassignment is required prior to 2015 if the position was one the relative held prior to 2010. It has some other anti-nepotism provisions with respect to contracts. And, it requires the township to list its telephone number in a telephone directory
I understand that Township boards can be ineffective patronage in some other counties, but they seem to (mostly) work well in Monroe County – I’m especially thinking of the Perry Township board here. I can’t imagine the County Council would be that excited about taking on the unglamorous work of the Township boards. I think there should be some sort of balancing mechanism for the bad Trustees, but this just seems like a solution in search of a problem.
But then again, I’m generally suspicious of the trend toward greater centralization of all budgeting power & authority in the state.
While I’m not necessarily sad to see township boards go, I’m surprised by Ron Alting’s “Yea” vote. Wasn’t he vocally opposed to local government reform in 2006?