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The solution proposed by some city and county officials to pay for bridge repairs in Allen County will again be a focal point this week.
The proposal on the table is for the county to increase the wheel tax and surtax on vehicle license plates in 2010. The eight incorporated cities and towns would then return most of the revenue from the increased wheel tax to the county to pay for bridge repair. The local governments would keep some of the money, about 35 percent, to cover road projects.
The city or town councils of Fort Wayne, New Haven, Huntertown, Zanesville and Woodburn have already approved similar agreements with the county. But Leo-Cedarville voted 3-2 against the agreement. Grabill and Monroeville are likely to consider the agreements this week.
The Allen County commissioners are expected to vote on approving the interlocal agreements on Friday.
The solution is imperfect, but the bridges can’t be ignored forever.
The Leo-Cedarville councilmen voted against the proposal because they didn’t want to increase taxes on residents already being hurt by the bad economy. Councilman John Eastes also voiced concern that the county would again abandon bridge repair after the deal expires.
It’s also unclear whether the Allen County Council will approve the measure – and the council has the final say about setting wheel tax rates. The council must make that decision by June 30 for the higher tax – and bridge responsibilities – to take effect in 2010.
Lawmakers return to Indianapolis on Thursday for unfinished work – the 2010-11 state budget. Negotiations broke down at the end of the regular session, but Gov. Mitch Daniels said he would have vetoed the proposed spending plan even if it was adopted.
The governor released his own spending plan early last week, drawing immediate criticism from House Democrats, who were angry that Daniels was claiming a 2 percent increase in school spending. The statewide average increase comes from the millions Indiana is set to receive from the federal stimulus package.
House Democrats also were angry about e-mails sent by the Indiana Republican Party urging taxpayers to attend the budget subcommittee meetings and speak in support of his spending plan. They said he was politicizing what was intended as a bipartisan process. On Friday, House Speaker Patrick Bauer announced that his caucus would return on Thursday and schedule hearings of the House Ways and Means Committee to prepare its own budget.
What was intended to be a brief special session now looks as if it will be longer and more costly to taxpayers.
City and county officials will have their first opportunity to discuss the county’s decision to build a new sheriff’s headquarters at a Wednesday meeting of the city-county public safety committee, an ad hoc task force.
Though the committee has no official role in public safety decisions, the meeting will allow city and county officials to voice their views – and discuss any differences. Sheriff Ken Fries’ decision to move his department’s offices from Lima Road to an area near Adams Center Landfill will affect city and county residents alike. Plus, the decision – which the county commissioners support – will effectively end any prospect of locating headquarters for the county sheriff and city police together. City Councilwoman Liz Brown, who helped spearhead the committee, has said she will bring the decision up for discussion.
After opening for the season last weekend, this will be the first full week the city’s pools will be open to offer recreation, exercise and relief from the sun.
City officials closed the least-used pool at Swinney Park because of budget considerations, but the pools at Northside, McMillen and Memorial parks will be open.
The deadline has been firmly set – and later extended – several times, but this one seems for real. On Friday, TV stations still broadcasting in analog must end those signals. To receive over-the-air broadcast stations without cable or satellite, consumers will need a converter box to view the stations.
Many stations – including WPTA, Channel 21, WISE Channel 33 and WFWA Channel 39 – made the switch to digital effective on the last deadline, Feb. 17. The Obama administration was concerned that too many Americans were not ready for the Feb. 17 deadline, though, and extended it to June 12.
