A group of residents is crying foul over questions on the ballot in November that will determine whether Fishers remains a town, becomes a city with a council and city manager, or a city with an elected mayor.
The Nov. 6 vote represents a critical turning point for the fast growing suburb, whose population of about 80,000 people makes it the state's largest community with a "town" form of government.
There are three possible outcomes: Fishers continues as a town with seven council members and a professional town manager; Fishers reorganizes as a city in combination with Fall Creek Township and has nine at-large council members who elect from among their ranks a mayor and hire a city manager; or Fishers becomes a second-class city with six district councilors, three at-large councilors and an elected mayor.
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The ballot will have two questions:
— Shall the Town of Fishers and Fall Creek Township reorganize as a single political subdivision?
— Shall the Town of Fishers change into a city?
A vote of "no" on both is a vote for Fishers to remain a town.
From there, it gets tricky. For Fishers to change into a city with an elected mayor, voters must vote "no" to the first question and "yes" to the second. If voters say "yes" to the first, even if they say "no" to the second, Fishers would reorganize while keeping a council-manager form of government.
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If voters opt for the "reorganized" Fishers city option, the change would take effect in 2013. Becoming a second-class city would take a few years longer.
http://www.ibj.com/city-or-town-confusing-ballot-to-determine-fate-of-fishers/PARAMS/article/37291
The Nov. 6 vote represents a critical turning point for the fast growing suburb, whose population of about 80,000 people makes it the state's largest community with a "town" form of government.
There are three possible outcomes: Fishers continues as a town with seven council members and a professional town manager; Fishers reorganizes as a city in combination with Fall Creek Township and has nine at-large council members who elect from among their ranks a mayor and hire a city manager; or Fishers becomes a second-class city with six district councilors, three at-large councilors and an elected mayor.
...
The ballot will have two questions:
— Shall the Town of Fishers and Fall Creek Township reorganize as a single political subdivision?
— Shall the Town of Fishers change into a city?
A vote of "no" on both is a vote for Fishers to remain a town.
From there, it gets tricky. For Fishers to change into a city with an elected mayor, voters must vote "no" to the first question and "yes" to the second. If voters say "yes" to the first, even if they say "no" to the second, Fishers would reorganize while keeping a council-manager form of government.
...
If voters opt for the "reorganized" Fishers city option, the change would take effect in 2013. Becoming a second-class city would take a few years longer.
http://www.ibj.com/city-or-town-confusing-ballot-to-determine-fate-of-fishers/PARAMS/article/37291
