Mayor Dick Moore
warned the community Wednesday night that continued moves by state legislators
are threatening the vitality of cities and towns in Indiana.
The two-term mayor offered an overall upbeat message in his sixth State of the City speech as he touted the city’s recovery from the economic recession and highlighted numerous ways the city has worked to save money amid shrinking property tax revenues.
And while Moore acknowledged some success in state government, he took aim at the state legislature for numerous changes in state laws that threaten to take the state into a “different and negative direction.”
Among the issues hurting municipalities is pending legislation that would impact the city’s rental registration program and the on-going state law that continues to reduce property tax revenues for local units of government.
“We continue to see bills introduced that infringe upon the right of city and town residents across the state. We have always had too little home rule and after seemingly every state legislative session, home rule continues to diminish,” Moore said during his speech at the Lerner Theatre.
“If state government continues to make it more difficult for municipalities to exist, they are putting future economic development at risk,” he said.
Earlier this month, he criticized Rep. Tim Wesco for “meddling” in city affairs after the Republican state lawmaker from Osceola authored an amendment to a bill that would allow commercial customers outside of the city to appeal sewer rates and fees established by municipalities.
Angered by the amendment, Moore retaliated last week by halting all new sewer and water connections outside of the city.
…
The two-term mayor offered an overall upbeat message in his sixth State of the City speech as he touted the city’s recovery from the economic recession and highlighted numerous ways the city has worked to save money amid shrinking property tax revenues.
And while Moore acknowledged some success in state government, he took aim at the state legislature for numerous changes in state laws that threaten to take the state into a “different and negative direction.”
Among the issues hurting municipalities is pending legislation that would impact the city’s rental registration program and the on-going state law that continues to reduce property tax revenues for local units of government.
“We continue to see bills introduced that infringe upon the right of city and town residents across the state. We have always had too little home rule and after seemingly every state legislative session, home rule continues to diminish,” Moore said during his speech at the Lerner Theatre.
“If state government continues to make it more difficult for municipalities to exist, they are putting future economic development at risk,” he said.
Earlier this month, he criticized Rep. Tim Wesco for “meddling” in city affairs after the Republican state lawmaker from Osceola authored an amendment to a bill that would allow commercial customers outside of the city to appeal sewer rates and fees established by municipalities.
Angered by the amendment, Moore retaliated last week by halting all new sewer and water connections outside of the city.
…
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