From the Evansville Courier & Press:
Those in favor call it unification. Those opposed use the term reorganization. For all intents and purposes, it's consolidation.
Residents of Vanderburgh County, including those in the city of Evansville, can vote on the plan in November. Whether it passes into local law will depend largely on how many actually follow through at the ballot box.
In theory, the plan will reduce layers of overlapping government. There would be a single elected mayor, who would appoint a deputy mayor to serve both as an assistant and as a replacement if needed. You wouldn't need both a city and county clerk, so a single county clerk's office would be in place. The city and county garages would be merged. Instead of a nine-member city council, a seven-member county council and three county commissioners, you'd have a 15-member common council representing 12 districts with three at-large positions.
A group titled "Yes! for Unification!" leads the support, with Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams its most public figure. A group called "Citizens Opposed to Reorganization in Evansville" (CORE) is rallying dissent, with county businessman Bruce Ungethiem and county treasurer (and former mayoral candidate) Rick Davis as its leading spokesman.
Both sides have been effective in making points.
The keys, of course, are costs and savings. Yes! people, while admitting that early claims of savings likely won't be realized soon, believe a unified government will do a better job of attracting and retaining businesses, creating greater tax bases and in the long term providing savings that way.
CORE wonders what current county residents will get from consolidation, other than a larger share of the property tax burden. And some in the center city, with the Rev. Adrian Brooks leading the call, suggest they will lose representation within a larger single entity.
What's known, for sure, is that both sides are passionate of their opinion.
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See the full story here:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/jul/29/merger-debate-just-getting-started/
