From the Northwest Indiana Times:
Griffith is halfway toward winning legislative permission to hold a referendum on whether to leave Calumet Township and join another Lake County township.
The Indiana House on Tuesday voted 66-32 for House Bill 1585, which sets up a path for Griffith to achieve its goal of reclaiming the millions of tax dollars it pays to Calumet Township every year but for which its residents receive just thousands of dollars in poor relief.
"They just want to pay a reasonable amount of tax, and I would venture to say that if they thought that money was being judiciously spent we wouldn't be having this conversation," said state Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, sponsor of the legislation.
Slager told the House of a recent investigation by The Times that found Calumet Township spends $45 million a year on administration to distribute $64 million in poor relief, the highest proportion of any Indiana township.
Calumet Township board members also earn $25,000 a year to attend a few meetings, compared to the state norm of approximately $500. Eight township employees have take-home cars, he said.
"Sometimes bold action is required," Slager said. "This vote is about good government and empowering a community to shop for something better."
...
State Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Buck Creek, who led a summer study committee hearing on the Griffith-Calumet Township issue, is Senate sponsor of the legislation.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/house-backs-griffith-referendum-on-leaving-calumet-township/article_010c1f0b-a834-51db-a700-bf5e497cb857.html
