CITY LIFE
There are a couple interesting stories out of the Capitol City today. Republican State Senator Jim Merritt is calling for “Uber Consolidation” and has unveiled a plan to consolidate government in Marion County the likes of which hasn’t been seen before. He would consolidate all fire departments and make sure all fire employees are credentialed. It would also term limit the Mayor to two terms and limit the Sheriff’s pay to that of the Prosecutor. It would bring the small claims courts under a division of the Superior Court and make township constables under the courts as well and cap their salaries. Merritt also says the Mayor should get more control over the schools, whether it is appointments to the IPS school board or direct control of the schools. Merritt says he doesn’t know exactly how much there will be in savings but it will bring efficiency to government.
Moving over to mayoral politics, after last night’s debate I asked Mayor Bart Peterson three times yesterday about the job Monroe Gray is doing and three times he had praise for the Council, but not the President. I’m not saying he denied Gray three times, but I think I did hear a rooster crow in the background after the third denial.
