From the Kokomo Tribune:
The attempt to reduce the number of townships in Howard County from 11 to five through consolidation along school boundaries has been defeated.
A group of Howard County trustees worked for approximately a year before presenting a consolidation plan for township government.
Voters in Clay, Ervin and Howard townships were asked to consider a consolidation as a single government entity and voters in Jackson, Liberty and Union townships were asked to the same merger.
The referendum question was defeated in Clay, Ervin and Howard townships with 53 percent of the voters casting no votes. The measure was defeated by 200 votes.
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In Jackson, Liberty and Union townships, Liberty and Jackson Township voters approved the consolidation, but Union voters said no.
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Overall the consolidation was approved by 53 percent of the voters.
Since Union Township voters decided not to consolidate, it allows Liberty and Jackson townships to go forward with a consolidation plan in the future. Union Township voters rejected the consolidation by a 276-201 margin. Liberty Township voters supported the consolidation by a 1,151-909 margin and Jackson Township residents voted to approve the concept.
Voters in Harrison, Monroe and Honey Creek townships didn’t have the option of voting for consolidation. The elected officials in Monroe and Honey Creek townships didn’t participate in the consolidation discussions.
The trustees presented the idea in hopes of fending off a state attempt to eliminate all forms of township government in the state.
By merging along the school boundaries the intent was to reduce the number of elected officials from 21 to eight by 2015.
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See the full article here:
http://kokomotribune.com/local/x1501150868/Howard-Co-Township-consolidation-plan-fails
