By Larry Riley in the Muncie Star-Press:
Let’s consider what will not happen with proposed modernization — merger and reorganization of the city of Muncie and Delaware County — coming next month to an election ballot near you.
NOne of the other 30-plus local units of government will be affected.
Out of deference to the group opposing the referendum question and the capital “NO” on their campaign signs, I’ll use their caps lock preference.
The townships keep on going their merry way, we keep seven school districts, MITS rides on (though the new city-county council makes appointments to that board), the Muncie Sanitary District stays intact (again, the top countywide elected official appoints members), as does the Delaware County Regional Wastewater district.
Ditto with the six incorporated towns.
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What else will NOT happen?
Contrary to opponents’ misinformation, the six towns in Delaware County will NOT be prohibited from expanding via annexation.
NOthing in the plan of reorganization prevents this, although NOne of these villages have done much annexation lately. A few years ago, Eaton slithered down highway 3 to annex Shideler in an attempt, too late, to prohibit a bio-agricultural park.
Something else put out by the anti-consolidation group needs corrected: the sheriff’s department will NOT be fully funded by the unincorporated area, known as the Rural Service Area.
The plan does call for citizens in both that area and in the Urban Service Area to pay for the services they get.
One function of the sheriff is to provide road patrol in rural areas, so that expense will be passed on to rural property owners, but that’s a small part of the sheriff’s costs.
The sheriff himself is a countywide elected official. His entire pay will be spread out over the entire county, as happens now, and ditto for his top officers.
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Something else that will NOT happen: sabotage by public officials, should the referendum pass.
Granted, Muncie City Council and the Delaware County Commissioners already tried to undermine modernization at the last-minute, requiring NOT a simple majority, but a two-thirds majority for the referendum to pass.
Still, if citizens favor the public question, a Joint Transition Board will be appointed: two members of city council, one county commissioner, two county council members, and the Muncie mayor or his designee.
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