Welcome Message
According to the state law, a new city created by the reorganization of the City of Greenwood and White River Township would have a unique governance structure approved by its residents. Our Governance Subcommittee has the responsibility to develop a recommendation for making the policies and delivering the services of the new city. State law allows us to develop a plan that addresses the unique problems and issues of our residents and businesses. Our proposed city may have different districts that have different zoning requirements and different services as well as different tax rates. The Governance Subcommittee will recommend to the Reorganization Committee the number of such districts and the services provided to each district. We will also recommend a method by which a district can transition to a higher or lower service classification. State law requires us to recommend a political structure for the proposed city. It may resemble the current second or third class cities in Indiana, but it could also have unique characteristics unlike those in other Hoosier cities. Specifically, we will present a plan for the election of legislative and executive officials. With an eye on the 2010 census, we must also describe election districts or process to create those districts. Our recommendations must include a transition governance structure that would be in place between the approval of a reorganization and the election of the proposed city’s new government. All of our recommendations will be based upon a very careful study of a large amount of data and with the input of many individuals. I want to encourage you to monitor our work and feel free to contribute your own ideas and suggestions. Remember, however, that our mission is only to develop a proposal. None of our recommendations can become a reality until they are approved by the Reorganization Committee and by both the White River Township Advisory Board and the City of Greenwood and finally by a referendum vote of the residents of the proposed new city. It will be a complicated process and I welcome your help. Don Hanlin, chairman
Governance Subcommittee |
Governance Sub-Committee Members
Don Hanlin Eric Kapke Pat Sherman * Michael Campbell Stephen Powell John Prey * Woody Robinson |
* Greenwood Resident
Governance Sub-Committee Objectives
1) NAME a. Evaluate a name for the New Community. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of possible choices. Make a recommendation to the Committee.
b. Recommend a name and description of the reorganized political subdivision that will succeed the reorganizing political subdivisions.
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2) MECHANICS OF THE REORGANIZATION
a. THIS TASK INFLUENCES THE EFFORTS OF ALL OTHER SUBCOMMITTEES AND THEREFORE MUST BE GIVEN TOP PRIOITY: Evaluate the practicality of the New Community containing more than one classification of land area relative to services provided. Each classification would be differentiated by the services provided.
b. Generate a description of the taxing areas in which taxes to retire obligations of the reorganized political subdivisions will be imposed. Pension obligations and indebtedness incurred by a political subdivision before the reorganization must be paid by the taxpayers that were responsible before the reorganization, and not imposed on taxpayers who were not responsible before the reorganization.
c. Define the disposition of the personnel, the agreements, and the assets of the reorganizing political subdivisions, including the terms and conditions upon which the transfer of property and personnel will be achieved.
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3) SERVICES
a. In conjunction with Planning & Land Use, generate a description of services to be offered by the reorganized political subdivision and the service areas in which services will be offered. Include a description of services to be provided to each classification of land area within the New Community. If a level of services change will occur for any area, define the transition time frame for this change.
b. Define the process and conditions by which a given land use area will transition to one of higher or lower services.
c. Conduct a review of current zoning and ordinance regulations in the City and WRT and make any change recommendations beneficial to the New Community. In conjunction with Planning & Land Use, define those ordinances, such as dog control and noise nuisance, that are currently absent in the merging area, and make recommendations for those to be included in the New Community.
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4) STRUCTURE
a. Generate a description of the membership of the legislative body, fiscal body, and executive of the reorganized political subdivision.
b. Generate a description of the election districts or appointment districts from which officers will be elected or appointed, and the manner in which the membership of each elected or appointed office will be elected or appointed.
c. Conduct the study of (a) and (b) above with full consideration of the timing of the 2010 census. Define any transition governance structure that may be required before a finalized redistricting, dictated by census, has been completed.
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* Items in red denote the requirements of IC 36-1.5-4-18b paragraphs 1 through 7 and IC 36-1.5-4-40 paragraphs 1 and 2. |