Post by TD on Jul 20, 2007 20:18:47 GMT -5
I know that for most residents of Valpo when they talk about "State" news it usually means "State of Illinois" because of the influence of the Chicago media. I just thought that you Valpo residents would like to pay attention to the sweeping changes that are being proposed by Indiana Gov Mitch Daniels to local government and the way taxes are collected. Most of Indiana is reeling from the increase in property taxes. In some townships in Marion County the increase in property taxes was as much as 85% higher than in 2006. Gov Mitch decided to repeal property taxes in Marion County back to 2006 levels until property values can be reassessed in about 6 to 8 months. Gov Mitch has also proposed that 4 other counties and possibly the whole state would have their property taxes reassessed.
He also created a blue-ribbon commission to study the way local & county government is run and to come up with long term solutions. The blue-ribbon commission will be headed up by former Gov Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepherd.
www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070718/LOCAL/70718030/-1/ARCHIVE
Daniels has long advocated smaller government. Today, his office pointed out that Indiana currently has about 2,730 local units of government with the authority to levy property taxes.
It also said only nine states have more government than Indiana. The Hoosier State has 1,009 townships while 31 states have no township offices at all, it said.
“The unneeded overhead of this antique system drains dollars from our school classrooms, from our public safety first responders and from the pockets of property taxpayers,” Daniels said in a statement. “Indiana will never be able to provide excellent local services at reasonable tax levels until true reform occurs.”
The commission will consider a number of questions:
* What local government offices might be eliminated to achieve efficiencies and cost savings for Hoosier taxpayers? Specifically, should township-county property tax assessors be abolished in favor of a uniform process managed by the state?
* What local units of government (including schools and libraries) might be successfully consolidated to reduce overhead and administrative expenses?
* What services or functions of local government might be reduced, eliminated, or provided in new ways to achieve savings for taxpayers?
* Is a Constitutional Convention necessary to make the bigger changes in state government?
He also created a blue-ribbon commission to study the way local & county government is run and to come up with long term solutions. The blue-ribbon commission will be headed up by former Gov Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepherd.
www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070718/LOCAL/70718030/-1/ARCHIVE
Daniels has long advocated smaller government. Today, his office pointed out that Indiana currently has about 2,730 local units of government with the authority to levy property taxes.
It also said only nine states have more government than Indiana. The Hoosier State has 1,009 townships while 31 states have no township offices at all, it said.
“The unneeded overhead of this antique system drains dollars from our school classrooms, from our public safety first responders and from the pockets of property taxpayers,” Daniels said in a statement. “Indiana will never be able to provide excellent local services at reasonable tax levels until true reform occurs.”
The commission will consider a number of questions:
* What local government offices might be eliminated to achieve efficiencies and cost savings for Hoosier taxpayers? Specifically, should township-county property tax assessors be abolished in favor of a uniform process managed by the state?
* What local units of government (including schools and libraries) might be successfully consolidated to reduce overhead and administrative expenses?
* What services or functions of local government might be reduced, eliminated, or provided in new ways to achieve savings for taxpayers?
* Is a Constitutional Convention necessary to make the bigger changes in state government?