Jan
16
Local Legislators Embrace Bipartisanship
Filed Under Mitch Daniels, State of the State, property tax crisis, property tax reform | 2 Comments
I missed the Indiana State of the State speech last night — I had to work late at the office for some things I had on the agenda today and also had my first radio interview around the time Mitch Daniels was speaking.
By the time I got home, I was distracted by Batman Begins on cable. By the time I flipped on the radio before falling asleep, the talk was about the Michigan results.
OK. I admit it. I probably wasn’t going to watch the State of the State anyway. The last time I watched a State of the State speech was back in 1992 when I was an intern working at the Statehouse during a short session. Let’s give thanks for all of the reporters who do all of the hard work and cover these things so that citizens can keep informed about what’s happening in Indianapolis.
But here’s a quick recap as the speech applies to Northwest Indiana.
Mitch Daniels is pushing forward on his property tax reforms and has called out to legislators to embrace in a showing of bipartisanship. It seems that Northwest Indiana legislators have no problem going “bi” — bipartisan that is.
Writes Patrick Guinane of the Northwest Indiana Times:
Other Northwest Indiana legislators praised the tone and message of Daniels’ speech, including Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, and Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso. Both region lawmakers were part of the group that escorted the governor into the House chamber.
“I thought he hit a home run,” Soliday said of the speech. “I thought he made some major efforts toward bipartisanship.”
Jan
10
Crown Point Brings Back Novel Police Funding Solution
Filed Under Crown Point, David Uran, police, property tax crisis | Leave a Comment
How does a municipality raise money for police without raising taxes?
By developing novel solutions to funding problems.
Crown Point is bringing back its police car sponsorship program that began in 1995, reports the Post-Tribune’s Diane Krieger Spivak.
The Crown Point Police Department is reinstating its Adopt-a-Car program, whereby a business can lend its name to a squad car bumper for a $2,000 donation.
Pete Land, who was reinstated as police chief when former police officer Dave Uran took over as the city’s new mayor this month, got the go-ahead from the Board of Works and Safety on Wednesday to bring back the program.
“It’s a win-win situation,” said Uran, who remembers the program from when he served on the force.
The money is used to equip squad cars with emergency equipment such as light bars, radios and video equipment.
Jan
9
School Costs Drive Ever Increasing Property Taxes
Filed Under Indiana legislation, property tax crisis | Leave a Comment
The educational system’s always increasing desire for money is driving property tax rates.
While education is the cornerstone of a well-informed and able population, throwing large sums of money at the schools doesn’t always produce great results, as can be seen in the Gary Public Schools which spends $14,000+ on its students in 2006.
If spending lots of money was the solution to educational problems, Gary’s schools would be achieving the same results as Valparaiso’s, Munster’s, Lake Central’s, and other high-performing school districts. A free educational solution is to get parents to emphasize the importance of learning by making sure their children are studying and learning at home and encouraging voracious reading.
An Indiana Senate committee passed legislation requiring referendums on new school construction and other local construction projects, reports Patrick Guinane in the Northwest Indiana Times, in an effort to give taxpayers a little more control over local government spending.
One plank of the governor’s multipronged plan cleared an initial hurdle Tuesday, with the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy voting 9-3 to require referendums on new libraries, schools and other local construction projects.
School debt has been singled out as the biggest driver of rising property taxes, and Daniels argues it’s time to give voters more influence over the fate of capital projects. But school association lobbyists said lawmakers shouldn’t scrap Indiana’s petition and remonstrance system, which pits project supporters and opponents against each other in contests won by whichever side gathers the most signatures.
“It may be working for you,” Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, told the school officials. “But I don’t know if the taxpayers feel it’s working for them.”
