STATEHOUSE UPDATE
Indiana lawmakers have less than 7 hours to go before adjournment and it looks like Indy Works (in some form) may be back on the table. The curent “compromise” would have the City-County Council approve the merger of all Township fire departments, but not until 2008, after this year’s election.
This would put the measure on a “defacto” ballot by letting the CCC make the decision. Although it would make the consolidation a campaign issue it would clearly put the Business Community and Fire Fighters on the side of pro-consolidation candidates. The GOP, should it choose to back anti-consolidation candidates, would have the task of being in the intellectually-challenging position of appearing to defend more governement.
The Mayor’s Office is not crazy about this proposal. They say it would delay the necessary $15 million in savings needed to fund public safety by a year.
Their hope would be that the public is so upset with Peterson and the way the police merger and other matters have been handled that they would not trust him on fire consolidation and would elect candidates who would keep the Mayor in check. Good luck. I hope this is part of some bigger negotiating ploy.
More to follow.
