From the Northwest Indiana Times:
State lawmakers are expected to study the structure of Indiana county government this summer with an eye toward establishing a single county executive.
Republican Gov. Mike Pence last week signed into law Senate Enrolled Act 475 urging the General Assembly to consider replacing the three-member boards of county commissioners with county presidents.
The new law also calls for a review of whether putting a county's legislative and fiscal authority entirely in control of the county council, as Lake and St. Joseph counties already do, works better than splitting those powers between the council and the commissioners.
The ideas for a single county executive and county councils with full legislative and fiscal authority were the top two recommendations of a 2007 report on local government reform written by former Gov. Joe Kernan and former Chief Justice Randall Shepard.
They've not advanced in the Legislature despite several attempts during the administration of former Gov. Mitch Daniels.
The county government study was among 17 new laws Pence signed last week. He's now signed 93 measures approved by the Republican-controlled House and Senate into law and vetoed none.
...
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/pence-backs-study-of-county-government-reforms/article_bd4d84e8-6437-504a-aed8-ba7287f68b2d.html
