Fire Consolidation Raises ConcernsIndianapolis City-Councilor Marilyn Pfisterer is keeping a guarded watch on H.B. 1568, which will consolidate the township fire departments and Indianapolis Fire Department. It is not the pay raise that would be given to the firefighters that raises her brow of concern, but it is the proposed $450 million bond issue to fund police and fire pensions and dissolution of mutual aid to the excluded cities of Beech Grove, Lawrence and Speedway if these entities decide not to join the consolidation. State Representative Phil Hinkle explained the bill mirrors some of the original Indianapolis Works Consolidation Plan that was laid out about three years ago that promised a savings of $35 million of taxpayers’ money. He too is concerned about the proposed costly bond issue. It will eventually cost taxpayers $1.3 billion by the time the bond was retired. Hinkle also had problems with language that was buried in the bill that voids any transfer of property or assets to another political entity after January 1, 2006. The property shall revert to the city if consolidation occurs. He said the legislation is specifically targeted to unravel Wayne Township and Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township adopted resolutions to transfer property to the school district. Former Wayne Township Trustee Dan Gammon wanted the training facility and site to go to the school district in case consolidation occurred. He believed the ownership should remain exclusively with Wayne Township taxpayers since it was their tax dollars that funded the training facility. This was one of Gammon’s last acts before leaving office December 31. The house bill language will usurp two government entities that voted on resolutions in open meetings. “It is setting a bad legislative precedent,” Hinkle said. The township trustee government and school board members were voted into office and are accountable to the public. There was no majority outcry trying to stop the resolution. “It was not an 11th hour deal,” he said. Hinkle said he tried to have that language removed, but he was unsuccessful. He noted there is strong opposition to the bill, but it can always be inserted into another bill for passage. The bill is scheduled for public hearing March 28th at the State House. He said he lacked the details of an exact time and meeting room. The bill also has a provision to reduce the county option income tax shares to those entities that join the consolidation. The percentage would not be lower than 66 percent and the reduction share would be directed toward Indianapolis/Marion County. This provision includes the excluded cities if they join the consolidation. The consolidation promise of more police officers does not appear to be panning out. Just three months into the merger, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s rookie class had to be cancelled due to lack of funds. The IMPD is losing 100 officers due to retirement during the summer. This certainly will have an impact on IMPD’s ability to fight the increasing homicide rate. “My biggest concern is crime. I have been tallying the 2007 murder rate and as of March 14, 25 murders have occurred. At this rate, 2007 will exceed the 2006 homicide rate of 161. The 2006 was the city’s third highest murder rate,” Pfisterer said. Pfisterer encourages everyone to form a crime watch. “It is about neighbors watching out for neighbors,” she said Shirley Purvitis of IMPD Citywide Crime Watch Office encouraged everyone to know their neighbors and to gather phone numbers to let residents be aware of suspicious activity in their neighborhood. She advised crime watch organizers to include income rental residents in the program because it will either discourage them from moving in if they are involved in illegal activities or to become watchful neighbors. |
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