As Howard County moves closer to examining consolidation, Kokomomayor Greg Goodnight has at least one unlikely fan down at thestatehouse: Gov. Mitch Daniels.
In his annual State of the City address, Goodnight said that itwas time to form a non-partisan, independent commission to look atconsolidating government in Howard County.
“For decades, Kokomo city government and Howard Countygovernment have tried to find new ways to work together to – in thewords of (former) Gov. Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court ChiefJustice Randal Shephard – ‘design new arrangements for our futureprosperity.’ but so many times, it has ended in disappointment,”said Goodnight. “There are many reasons, and even more excuses, forthis. the process became politicized. People’s aspirations got inthe way. Other projects and initiatives took precedence. So, ourelected officials, both city and county, grew increasinglyfrustrated, making our prospect for true cooperation evendimmer.”
Daniels was in Kokomo for the annual Lincoln-Reagan Day dinnerlast week and took some time to talk to the Kokomo Perspectiveabout Goodnight’s call to consolidate.
“I think it is extraordinarily important,” Daniels said ofconsolidation. “And by far the best way is like this: Bottom upwith each community trying to figure out a more taxpayer-friendlyway to deliver service that works for them. this is so much betterthan if we tried to impose something on a statewide basis. I justhave to say that mayor Goodnight has been terrific in various ways,but in particular he has been very forthright in the need tomodernize both city and school government. I use him as an exampleother places in the state.”
Not all local leaders think the consolidation effort will be asuccess or save money. Jim Papacek, Howard County Council member,thinks there are areas that the city and county could consolidatewithout forming a commission. but, he said, “I’m not convinced thatconsolidating services would save a lot of money.”
Papacek’s concerns are shared by other leaders across the state,but Daniels said he thinks that saving money is only one reasoncommunities should consider consolidating services.
“Well it ain’t going to cost anymore to have less overhead,”said Daniels, when asked what he would say to critics like Papacek.“Less overhead has to save money. Ball State says a few hundredmillion statewide. I would agree with them in that respect and sayit isn’t the first reason to do it. the first reason, probably, isjust to have cleaner more accountable government so that peopleknow who to give the credit to if things are well done and who togive the responsibility to if things are not well done. our currentsystem too often allows accountability to be evaded. Everybodypoints at everybody else. I would agree with them that we don’twant to overestimate the savings; however, they are nottrivial.”
Other county leaders said they are in favor of the consolidationeffort called for by the mayor. County councilman Paul Wyman hasbeen trumpeting the call for consolidation for years.
“I have been a proponent for years of studying consolidation,and it was part of my announcement speech that I was running forcommissioner,” said Wyman. “I would hope we could make someprogress in that area. I fully support the city and county comingtogether to try to establish a commission of non-elected communityleaders who can truly study this issue and take some of thepolitics out of it and bring some recommendations back to us.”
More about Top
- ARTICLE: Himsel starts new job July 1
- ARTICLE: Burton bill will repeal “Obamacare;” offer reform
- ARTICLE: Michael Harris selected as new chancellor of IU Kokomo
- ARTICLE: KCS superintendent leaving for job in Ft. Wayne